Edward Kidnastoff
by Afgncaap5
Summary: The Poe population seems to be on the rise. A monster at the Ranch takes all by surprise. Link's sent many monsters to their maker by making them dead. But now the maker wants to meet Link instead...[Complete]
1. Bull At The Dozer's House

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 1: Bull At The Dozer's House  
  
*****  
  
Epona galloped furiously towards Lon Lon Ranch as Link fired an arrow at the Poe that had materialized just before them on the trail. There had been a surprising increase in the amount of Poe activity the past few weeks, making travel through Hyrule much more dangerous than normal. Even Link, who was quite adept at dispatching Poes and other ethereal creatures, found it tiring to be caught in a circle of five or six of them at a time.  
  
Link slowed Epona to a casual trot as they crossed the threshold of the Ranch, knowing that the Poes would prefer to hunt for victims in the wide open fields, though some had even taken to entering buildings lately. He currently had three of them bottled from earlier that morning when he had been called to remove some from the Gerudo Fortress. That was all he had been doing lately, really; dueling Poes, bottling them, and then collecting money from the people who just didn't want to deal with the "infestation" for themselves.  
  
Link was dismounting in front of the door to the main residential section of the ranch when Malon ran to meet him from the ranch's center, panting and looking terrified. "Link! Thank goodness you're here. We've got trouble!"  
  
"Yeah, I know," Link said as he pulled an empty bottle from the burlap sack that he'd been carrying all day. "Poe in the attic. Shouldn't be anything to the three that I met this morning when-"  
  
"No, Link, in the pen with the horses! Follow me!" Malon turned and raced towards the center of the ranch leaving a bewildered Link with little choice but to follow. They reached the enclosure fence just as Talon was maneuvering a horse out of the gate into what appeared to be the rest of the herd while Ingo was rapidly swinging the gate closed behind them. "Link!" gasped Talon, "it's about time you got here! Listen, there's-"  
  
"Yeah, Malon filled me in," Link interrupted. "Another Poe showed up in your field here."  
  
"A Poe???" Talon wailed. "If only it were a Poe, those things normally won't kill horses. I lost two to this thing this morning!"  
  
Link blinked a few times, and stared into the fence. Near the opposite end, he could make out what may have been the remains of two horses, but there didn't seem to be much left of them. Putting away his bottle and unsheathing his sword, Link took a few steps towards the potential danger before turning back to Talon. "What is it?"  
  
"It's nasty, that's what it is! This morning some guy in a white....robe thing just appeared, and wanted to know if I'd like a bull. I said that it depended on the price, and he said that the bull was free to a good home. I asked why, and he said that he was on a long trip, and just couldn't afford to keep the bull with him any longer. I accepted, and the guy just claps his hands as the biggest bull I've ever seen appears, wearing a glowing collar. He led the bull through the fence, removed its collar and vanished into thin air. I'm just about to celebrate, but the bull instantly ran straight for the nearest horse and started goring it and trampling it! I called Ingo over to help, and the two of us walked in with lassos ready, but the bull vanished before we could get in range! We started herding all of the horses out through the gate, but it still managed to get one."  
  
Link frowned and turned back to the field. Pulling out the Lens of Truth, he surveyed the land and did see what looked like a large bull pacing back and forth at the opposite end. It looked to be about two or three times the size of a standard bull, a fact made all the more noticeable by the oddly sharp-looking horns. "Stay here," Link muttered. "I think that I can handle this."  
  
There was a great deal of truth to that statement. He had vanquished monsters such as Barinade, Volvagia and Bongo Bongo in the past, and at a glance he could tell that this bull monster, whatever it would wind up being called, would be easy to defeat. Even if it could shoot lasers from its horns, it probably wouldn't be a huge challenge. These thoughts weren't crossing the minds of Talon, Malon or Ingo as they stepped away from the fence to let the hero work, but Link repeated the thought to himself, wondering if the monster would even prove as challenging as a Lizalfo.  
  
"Navi, wake up," Link whispered as he quietly passed through the gate, closing it behind him. "It's battle time." The blue fairy emerged, and surveyed the situation.  
  
"That's not a Poe, Link."  
  
"I know, it's an invisible, wild bull."  
  
"A big one. Watch out for those horns, obviously. I'd go for its sides, and-"  
  
The bull snapped its head in Link's direction and snorted furiously. Even if Link hadn't been wearing the Lens of Truth he would have been able to see the clumps of soil that the beast pushed with its front hooves as it prepared for the charge. It quickly began a collision course, its head lowered and its horns aimed straight at Link's chest. Link, in turn, quickly pulled out his shield. Carefully timing the surprisingly rapid approach of the bull, Link jumped to its side and delivered a quick slash.  
  
With a surprising clang, Link's sword simply rebounded as the bull galloped a short distance away before stopping and looking around, as if confused that it missed it's target. "Navi," Link whispered. "That didn't work. Any other ideas?"  
  
"Do you have the biggoron sword with you?"  
  
"No, left it at home. This was just a Poe extermination mission when we started. Got anything else?"  
  
"Working on it." So saying, Navi flew to the bull and started looking over it's entire structure. By now, however, the bull had realized that Link wasn't standing too far behind it. Turning around, the bull once again lowered its head and produced a few warning stomps.  
  
Link once again made sure to keep the shield between himself and the bull as the trampling began. However, the bull was ready when Link jumped to the side. Veering just as Link attempted to evade, it rammed into the shield, lifting Link off of the ground. A few seconds later, the bull was crushing Link with his own shield on one of the horse's training fences.  
  
"Now'd be a....good time, Navi!" Link wheezed as the bull continued pushing. He could feel his shoulder rapidly approaching the breaking point.  
  
"Listen! Can you reach the Fairy Ocarina?"  
  
"I....yeah, I think...."  
  
"Try Epona's Song! He's a pasture animal, right?"  
  
"That's the best ya got?!" Link shouted. Still, he was in enough pain that he used the arm that wasn't holding the shield to remove the Ocarina. Playing with one hand would be tough, but he just might be able to manage it....  
  
The shield was squeezing the last air out of him, so Link could only manage one breath for the song. He concentrated every fiber of his being on not letting the bull push the last of the air out of his lungs before he could finish the music. However, just a few notes into the song Link noticed that it wasn't quite as painful. By the end of the first phrase, the bull was looking around in confusion allowing Link all the breathing room that he needed. By the end of the song, the fierce beast was as peaceful as any of the other farm animals.  
  
"Well now," Link said, patting the bull's head. "He's not so tough when you get to know him, is he? Good call, Navi!"  
  
"Link, this bull...he's made out of metal!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Metal! Like a beamos or iron knuckle, but with a leather covering!"  
  
Pondering this, Link tapped it with his sword. Once again, there was the clang that he hadn't given much thought to during the battle. "What are you, fella?" he asked, looking into the bull's big, brown eyes.  
  
Instantly, the bull snarled and thrashed its horns in Link's direction, Link only narrowly jumping back in time. The bull was shaking its head angrily, and pawing the ground again.  
  
"Quick, Link! More music! Keep playing Epona's Song!"  
  
Link jumped behind the fence that the bull had just nearly crushed him on, still under the adrenaline rush from the return of the bull's rage. "I can't keep playing Epona's Song forever," Link muttered. "However,...."  
  
Just as the bull began circling around the fence for another strike at Link, Link thought back to the Song of Storms that he had learned from a music man in a windmill not too long ago. Quickly, the storm clouds gathered, and a rain began to fall. Jumping over the training fence again just before the bull could reach him, Link stepped back to watch as the bull slowly looked up at the rain falling from the sky. Shaking its head, the bull began to round the fence once again. However, when it reached the edge of the fence and turned to glare at Link, a spark of energy arced between its horns. The bull seemed to notice this, though it was very soon more occupied with the other sparks that began to lance from its body in general. The bull began to shake and smoke quickly as Link thought back to what this type of occurrence normally preceded. Ducking behind his shield to avoid the debris, Link heard the explosion as the bull fell to pieces.  
  
Cheering erupted from the perimeter of the outer fence as Malon, Talon and Ingo quickly opened the door and began the task of herding the horses back in. "Wow, Link!" said Navi as she flew into view. "How did you know it would explode? What if it'd just been armored?"  
  
"Well, I didn't really," Link confessed as he looked over the twisted remains of the mechanized bull. "I was just hoping that it would rust."  
  
A few seconds of awkward silence passed before Navi spoke again. "Um,....you do know that rusting generally takes days to occur, right?"  
  
Link was saved from having to reply by the rapid approach of Talon. "Excellent, young man, simply excellent! Finest bit of wranglin' I've ever seen around here! Now then, about that Poe in the house...."  
  
*****  
  
Meanwhile, a figure watched from safety. He watched the one in green being congratulated by everyone present. He watched as the remains of the bull were loaded onto a cart along with the bodies of the two dead horses. He watched as the ranch returned to normal, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.  
  
"That one in green....very interesting," he muttered. "I'll have to see more of this hero. I think that it's time for Tyrtora...."  
  
To be continued.... 


	2. Tyrtora

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 2: Tyrtora  
  
*****  
  
"King Zora will be able to see you in just a few minutes."  
  
Link nodded as the Zora guard/receptionist turned back to the royal chambers to wait for the King's approval for the new visitor. Link sighed and casually tossed his package from one hand to the other. Along with his official job description of "Hero", Link had silently, and without his approval or consent, become something of an unofficial delivery service. Whenever someone desperately needed a delivery to be made and couldn't wait for the local delivery services to arrive, he or she would check to see if Link was in the area. Currently, he had been coerced into delivering a box of ancient scrolls and books from Hyrule Castle's library to Zora's Domain as a part of an "information exchange" that was designed to strengthen the already existing alliance and friendship between the land of Hyrule and Zora's Domain.  
  
As annoying as it was, it did provide work for Link when the Hero business didn't. It had been three days since the mechanical bull incident at LonLon Ranch, and the only real feat he had performed in that time was to break his Poe Eradication Record by unearthing seven in Goron City in just under three minutes. Before the bull, roughly a month of nothing but the steadily increasing Poe activity.  
  
"King Zora will see you now," announced the Zora guard as he returned with the King's previous appointment, a Zora who was, for some reason, carrying a fishing pole, a bottle, and a chicken. The guard escorted Link up the long passage to the King's chamber and onto the platform that all wishing to speak to King Zora must stand on. The King was a large Zora who almost looked like a large blue frog, especially when compared to the thinner appearance of most other members of the race. Lately he always seemed just about to fall asleep, even when he was wide awake.  
  
"Ah, Link!" he drawled. "Wonderful to see you again. I see that you're wearing the tunic that I gave you, nice to see that it's holding up. I'm sorry to say that Princess Ruto isn't here at the moment. She's been very busy lately between the duties she has taken in overseeing this kingdom's well-being, as well as her sagely duties in the water temple."  
  
Link concealed his sigh of relief. Ruto was a nice girl, certainly attractive and intelligent, but he hadn't ever truly felt comfortable around her since she had pushed him into a betrothal without much choice about the matter. A serious discussion was in order at some point in the future. "Actually, your highness," Link began, "I've come with a package of books and scrolls from the Hyrule Castle Library."  
  
"Ah! Excellent! Just leave them here, and I'll see that a scribe begins working on them immediately."  
  
His business done, Link bowed and stepped off of the pedestal. Instead of leaving the way he had entered, however, Link decided to take the hall to his left. After not walking too far, Link came to the cliff edge where a Zora stood in wait for people who wanted to play his "Diving Game." Link wasn't really interested in the game, but he decided to take a quick dive before heading home for the day. A quick running start, jump, and arm extension later, Link had impacted with the water and was coming back up.  
  
{Hello, little one.}  
  
Link turned towards the voice as he emerged from below the water, but couldn't see anyone in that direction. Shrugging, Link decided that it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He turned towards the distant ladder that would lead out of Zora's Domain and back into the Hyrule Field.  
  
{I wish to speak with you.}  
  
Link stopped swimming and turned back towards the voice. He knew that he was hearing something....  
  
{Do not be alarmed, but I have a matter of grave importance to discuss.}  
  
Link didn't say anything. He carefully looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.  
  
{Don't look towards my voice. The direction of mental communication can often be misleading.}  
  
"Who is this?" Link asked.  
  
{I am called Tyrtora.}  
  
Link didn't care if the voice was misleading or not, he turned in the direction that he "heard" it coming from, just to provide a better sense of orientation for himself. "What is it that you want?" he asked.  
  
{You're life,} came Tyrtora's calm reply. Hearing a splash behind him, Link turned to find himself just feet away from what appeared to be an orange piranha that was roughly the size of a great white shark. The great fish revealed row upon row of very sharp teeth that had bits of seaweed stuck in them as Link quickly floated a few feet further from the monstrous creature. {I've been sent here to destroy you, Link,} the giant fish said as the few nearby Zora quickly swam out of harms way. {That's all, really. Nice to meet you.}  
  
The creature lazily began to follow Link, as if toying with Link's slow swimming speed. Never being a decent swordsman on the water, Link hurried towards the only available rock, unsure if he could make it. He could hear Tyrtora slowly creeping up on him. For some reason, the Fish wasn't attacking him yet.  
  
Link reached the rock and pulled himself onto it. Turning around, he saw Tyrtora floating in the water just barely far enough to prevent Link's sword from causing any damage. The ever present teeth seemed to be leering. {Interesting strategy, young one. However, you must leave the rock at some point. I can wait.}  
  
"Navi," Link whispered. "Big monster. This one's water-proof."  
  
The fairy quickly appeared and floated out to look at Tyrtora, who carefully watched Navi as she quickly searched the monster. "The skin doesn't seem overly strong," Navi whispered when she returned. "If it weren't for those teeth, I doubt that he'd even be a threat. Arrows? The hookshot, perhaps?"  
  
Link considered this. Tyrtora seemed too large to go down that easily. However, he might be able to stun Tyrtora long enough to allow him to reach the ladder. Perhaps even the land that would lead him back to King Zora. By now, a crowd of Zora were watching from the higher land masses, whispering to themselves.  
  
Acting quickly so that Tyrtora wouldn't have time to react, Link removed his bow and an arrow, took aim, and fired. Tyrtora didn't even try to move as the arrow struck him between the eyes. Tyrtora simply continued to float in the water for a few seconds before vanishing from sight.  
  
The Zora on the outskirts of the water began to clap and cheer while Link simply stared in confusion. Nothing that big would fall from a single arrow, no matter how well it was placed. He pulled out the Lens of Truth and looked around for any trace of Tyrtora. He couldn't see a thing except for the usual tiny fish that inhabited this small body of water.  
  
"Navi? What just happened?"  
  
"I'd say a well-placed shot on your part. You must've hit his weak point so precisely as to instantly cause critical damage."  
  
"What're the odds of that happening?"  
  
"Astronomical, but I don't think that we should question it."  
  
Taking Navi's advice, Link returned his bow to its place in his inventory, and jumped into the water.  
  
{That wasn't very neighborly, Link.}  
  
Link froze. He was still a few yards from the ladder. He swam furiously towards it, hoping to escape before Tyrtora could appear again. Before he had moved a foot, however, what appeared to be a gigantic crab rose to the surface from below the water. It was large enough that its flat top provided a table large enough for several tiny fish and clumps of seaweed to be caught on as it rose.  
  
{You shouldn't allow yourself to be lured so easily into harm's way, Link. Just a friendly word of advice on my part.}  
  
The crab began to swim towards Link. It seemed to be a genuinely slow swimmer, however, as opposed to the fish's tauntingly slow speeds. Still, Link barely made it back to the rocky outcropping before the crab did. His sigh of relief was cut short when the crab cautiously placed two of its legs onto the platform.  
  
"Navi?" Link called as he backed to the opposite end of the rock.  
  
"Well....his exoskeleton looks a bit hard for your sword," she muttered. "You could try the Megaton Hammer, I suppose. That might be hard enough if you can get in a good blow."  
  
As Tyrtora finished climbing onto the tiny rock, Link sheathed his sword and pulled out the Megaton Hammer. Link attempted to smash the center of Tyrtora's shell, but the crab's claws moved fast enough to block the attack.  
  
{Link, you really must cease this game at once. You can't win, you know.} So saying, Tyrtora attempted to snap Link's shins. Link, acting primarily on instinct rather than through any true plan of his own, jumped over the crab's claws and onto its back.  
  
A few seconds passed as both Tyrtora and Link processed what had just happened. Tyrtora attempted to reach Link, but its disproportionately large claws didn't seem capable of bending that far back. Tyrtora tried to throw Link off, but Link was much too heavy for the crab to do more than shake a little. Not daring to waste a second, Link smashed Tyrtora's back with the Megaton Hammer. The shell instantly cracked, and the creature faded from view just as the giant piranha had done, leaving behind only the sea debris that it had carried up with it.  
  
"Think that's the last of Tyrtora, Navi?" Link cautiously asked. He wasn't about to set foot into the water again.  
  
"Not quite," Navi whispered. "There's something moving beneath that seaweed there."  
  
Link knelt down and examined the clump of seaweed. It did, in fact, appear as if something beneath it was moving. Link cautiously moved the seaweed aside, only to find a tiny crab. A crab with a very noticeable crack running down its shell.  
  
"That certainly explains how Tyrtora vanished when he was just a big fish," Link mumbled. "I still don't quite get the why of the matter, though."  
  
{I can explain it all for you, if you'd like.}  
  
Link quickly looked into the water, and saw a very large crocodile's head looking back at him, staring through the various shells and bits of plant material on it. The crocodile slowly began to head towards the rock. It was much too big to actually climb onto the rock, though it could easily snap Link from the water.  
  
{I found those previous forms to be ill suited for the task at hand. First I chose the form of a fish as you were in the water. I altered the fish's stature to be a giant in size, and enhanced the fish's natural weaponry, its teeth. However, this could not harm you at all while you could find refuge on the land. Next, I chose a crab. Capable of tracking you on both land and water, all it needed was a proper size to pursue you. However, you proved yourself capable of eluding its pincers and cracking its shell. I have now found a baby crocodile, and made the standard size and strength enhancements. Should you vanquish this, I may take other forms. A flying fish with razor-tipped fins, perhaps. Or maybe a rapid turtle capable of imprisoning you in its own shell. The sea is full of many wondrous creatures, and all of them may be my form.} As he ended this statement, the crocodile snapped at Link. Link evaded, but fell into the water.  
  
"Link! We're not fighting Tyrtora!"  
  
"I know! It'll be a massacre by the time he finishes with us!"  
  
"That's not what I mean, Link! So far we've beaten every monster that's been tossed at us. But Tyrtora hasn't even shown his face!"  
  
"You mean this isn't Tyrtora," Link asked as the giant crocodile swam within a few feet of him. There were some good-sized tree trunks that weren't as large as this monster's muzzle.  
  
"I don't think so. I think that Tyrtora's capturing the animals, controlling them, and changing them so that they can fight for him!"  
  
"So we need to ignore these monsters out here and find the real Tyrtora?"  
  
"Right!"  
  
Link dodged another snap from the crocodile's maw, allowing the opportunity that Link needed to grab it and hold it closed. Even with the weaker opening muscles, however, Link knew he probably wouldn't be able to hold it closed for very long. Acting as quickly as he could, Link swapped his current boots for his iron boots before letting go of the crocodile.  
  
Link quickly sank to the bottom of the water with the aid of the iron boots. With the help of the Zora's Tunic, Link could have conceivably stayed beneath the water indefinitely were it not for the crocodile that began its rapid descent through the water.  
  
Link walked away from the crocodile as fast as the iron boots would allow him to, though he knew that it wouldn't be nearly fast enough. Link looked around frantically, searching for anything out of the ordinary.  
  
Link noticed a very, very large patch of seaweed near the arch that would lead to Lake Hylia. Ordinarily this wouldn't be too unusual, but the Zora generally kept this section of their waters plant free to enhance its aesthetic appearance.  
  
Link armed his hookshot and took aim at the seaweed. He soon found himself hurtling through the water towards the seaweed, just moments before the giant crocodile could reach him. Link landed just a step away from the seaweed and looked at it carefully. There was something beneath all of it, but Link couldn't quite make it out.  
  
Quickly, before Link even realized that anything was happening, several strands of the seaweed shot out from their pile and wrapped around Link's legs. Enough of the seaweed had been shifted for Link to see a large blue eye staring at him from the middle of the vegetation.  
  
{Incorrect strategy, I'm afraid,} Tyrtora cheerfully stated. {While you were right in assuming my location, you failed to grasp that I'm a predator with a penchant for ensnaring prey before consuming it, much like a skulltula or certain varieties of exotic beetle. I generally trap smaller creatures to consume, such as baby fish or the eggs of turtles. Those animals too large, and even tiny fish and crustaceans often fall into this category, I brainwash into a symbiotic relationship where I teach them to hunt more efficiently and mutate them into creatures far more capable of hunting. In return, I have them always devour their larger meals near me so that I may consume the tiny bits and pieces that they miss.}  
  
As soon as that statement entered Link's mind, he quickly pulled out his sword. Ordinarily he wouldn't ever consider using it as a weapon when beneath water, but he reasoned that he wouldn't require great force to cause damage to Tyrtora's eye, or at least to the seaweed that he was trapped in. Before he could use the sword for anything, however, a spare tendril shot out, snatched the sword, and pulled it out of Link's grasp.  
  
{We can't have that, now can we? But don't worry, Link. I'm certainly not going to brainwash you. Your brain is much too complex for me to achieve any more than this simply telepathic communication. However, the other advantage that I failed to mention about my relationship to those animals that I do manage to enslave is that I have constant protection.}  
  
No sooner had Tyrtora broadcast these thoughts than a large shadow blocked out the light from above. Looking up, Link saw the giant crocodile begin a slow, taunting descent. Frantically, Link pulled out the Megaton Hammer, but Tyrtora's tendrils were too fast. Link removed a spare Deku Stick from his pack in an attempt to blind Tyrtora's eye. But once again, the seaweed was too fast for Link to hold onto his weapon, and yet another of his chances for survival was held firmly out of reach.  
  
In desperation, Link armed his hookshot. The vines again surged, but Link was ready for them. Link held fast with his two hands as Tyrtora struggled with two vines. Then a third vine joined. Then a fourth. Link attempted to aim the hookshot directly at Tyrtora's eye, but the growing numbers of vines were making that difficult.  
  
Link looked above just in time to see the crocodile a mere five feet above him. The crocodile had its mouth open as it swam straight for the hero. Link turned back towards Tyrtora in time to see a twelfth vine grab the hookshot. Neither Link nor Tyrtora were capable of steadily aiming the hookshot at this point, though each attempted to ensure that it would be aimed in the general direction of the other. A thirteenth vine, and a fourteenth vine,....and then the hookshot's trigger was pulled.  
  
Whether it had been activated by Link or Tyrtora was unknown, though neither one had intended for the hookshot to be fired directly into the open maw of the crocodile. The hookshot apparently found a suitable latch as both Link and Tyrtora were ripped from the ground and propelled towards the crocodile who, apparently in slack-jawed surprise, was keeping its mouth open.  
  
Having less than a second to react, Link rolled to ensure that Tyrtora would be the first to enter. While the crocodile was larger than most, it didn't have a throat large enough to allow the whole of Tyrtora to easily pass through. Link felt the tentacles lose their strength as both Tyrtora and the crocodile struggled for a mutual survival. Seizing his chance, Link removed the bindings from his legs, and quickly scooped up his sword, hookshot, hammer and (though he felt he didn't need it) deku stick. His still functioning iron boots allowed him to sink faster than the struggling crocodile, though they landed in close proximity to each other.  
  
Link surveyed the mass of Tyrtora as the crocodile began to move slower. The eye rolled into view and stared at Link before the crocodile's mouth finally closed.  
  
{Well played, Link! I made the mistake of underestimating you, I'm afraid. Whether through skill or luck, you have indeed proven yourself worthy of the title of "hero" that the land has granted you. I'm afraid that I won't survive for much longer, as my roots have been heavily damaged by this turn of events, so I must bid you a polite farewell.}  
  
Link didn't waste any time at all. He quickly switched back to his regular boots, and floated to the nearest patch of land that wasn't floating in the middle of the water. Dragging himself onto the land, he heard cheers and applause from the Zora populace surrounding him and Navi's familiar fluttering as he sprawled onto the rocky ground.  
  
"Weird monster," Link panted. "Polite, though."  
  
"Yeah," Navi answered. "Might've been worthy of a few decent legends, if it hadn't gone down during its first fight."  
  
*****  
  
Link was drained. Water monsters had never been his favorite type to contend with, especially when they could only be slain while under water. He wasn't in the mood to quickly dart across the landscape on Epona tonight. He was comfortable with the slow trod that Epona was moving at. Navi fluttered ahead, either through tension of the events of the morning, or from the adrenaline rush.  
  
Despite the main event of the day, Link did appreciate the special banquet that was thrown in his honor before he was permitted to leave Zoras' Domain. They certainly did know how to prepare seafood.  
  
Suddenly, a bright rectangle of light appeared directly in Epona's path! Epona reared onto her hind legs, throwing Link onto the ground as she quickly moved away from the strange light. Link pulled himself off of the ground, glared at Epona for a second, before turning to the rectangle. It was a bright white, roughly eight feet tall and three feet wide. Link cautiously approached it. He reached out to touch it, but his hand passed right through it, as if it wasn't there.  
  
Link turned to Epona. He wasn't ready to leave, but Epona was quickly walking away from the source of the light, and he didn't want to spend the rest of the night chasing her. However, with his back turned from the white rectangle, he didn't notice the large metal claw that zipped out to grab him. Before he even had a chance to shout for help, he had been pulled back into the rectangle which vanished without a trace.  
  
Moments later, Navi returned to the site where the rectangle had been. She had seen the rectangle from a distance, but hadn't seen Link's disappearance through it. She looked, but couldn't see Link anywhere on the field.  
  
"Epona's just over there," she said. "And that big rectangle was right here....but where's Link?" 


	3. Now Hiring

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 3: Now Hiring  
  
*****  
  
Link heard a dull scratching, skittering sound. His eyes slowly opened to a dim light. Why was he lying on a metal floor? What was that skittering sound? It sounded so very familiar....  
  
Link rolled to his feet, quickly associating the noise with the odd clicking sounds made by Skulltulas, Skullwalltulas, and other eight-legged monstrosities that he had been unfortunate enough to run into during his past. Link turned around hoping to see whatever creature was making this noise. Unfortunately, the noise stopped as soon as he rolled to his feet, thus making the sound difficult to track.  
  
The room that Link saw seemed to be a large, circular chamber that was about half as large as the entirety of the Lon Lon Ranch. The entire chamber was constructed of an odd green metal with a dull light glowing from some unseen location. Perhaps the metal itself was glowing green, for all that Link could tell. The ceiling, roughly twenty feet above Link's head, was supported by several collections of thin, oddly shaped pillars.  
  
The arrangement of the pillars was what caught Link's attention first, due to the sudden lack of skittering noises. He approached the closest group of the pillars to get a closer look. There were eight pillars in this group, each roughly as thick as the hilt of his Kokiri sword. There were odd connectors on the pillars, indicating that each pillar may have been constructed from smaller pillars (though "dowels" may have been a more appropriate wood). Link reached out to touch a pillar, and discovered that it was made from metal, just like the rest of this room.  
  
The skittering noises began again, and this time just behind Link. He turned around quickly, but this only provoked the noises to cease yet again. He couldn't see a thing behind him. Link pulled out his Lens of Truth just to be on the safe side, but still couldn't see a thing. He put away the lens to conserve magic, and just used his normal eyes to nervously glance from side to side.  
  
"Navi?" he whispered. "Navi, what's in here?"  
  
There wasn't an answer. "Navi?" Link quickly rummaged through all of his pockets and his hat (including the pockets and hat of his other tunics), but Navi was no where to be found. "Where is she....let's see, I was riding home on Epona, she flew ahead, the big rectangle appeared....I must have fallen into that thing. Or I must've been pulled. Navi probably didn't get back in time."  
  
Link felt an unusual sense of pride at being able to recollect his memories about the rectangle and surmise an opinion about what happened, probably due to the fact that he generally always had a fairy nearby that reminded him of his own memories and skills before he had a chance to, added to the fact that he had only risen from sleep just a few moments earlier.  
  
Link turned back to look at the eight skinny pillars. As if on cue, the skittering noises began again. Link wheeled around, but not quickly enough to spy anything crawling towards him. He strained his eyes, but couldn't see anything but the green metal and more collections of pillars.  
  
Link blinked once or twice, nearly convinced that he was only imagining things before he realized that one of the collections of pillars seemed to be closer than before. Just to be sure, Link turned his back on the suspected source of the noise, heard the skittering noises, and turned back. Sure enough, the eight pillars were definitely closer. Link unsheathed his sword and approached the eight moving pillars for a closer look. While from further away these pillars appeared to be exactly the same as the others, this one looked different at a close examination. The coloration seemed a bit paler, and there seemed to be some short, black wiry strands poking out of them.  
  
Link looked up, but the pillars stretched all the way to the ceiling, just as in the other groups. He reached for the pillars to see if they felt different as well, but the pillar moved back, raising off the floor a bit as it did. Link was surprised at first, but the lack of hostile actions on the part of the pillars over the next few seconds prompted Link to cautiously step back instead of slashing wildly with his sword.  
  
"What do you think of it, Mr. Link?"  
  
Link quickly turned towards the voice, alarmed by the sudden break in the silence. Behind him, casually leaning against a wall, was a man. The man was a full head taller than Link, with brown hair that Link could only describe as wild. The man had a very gangly, energetic look to him with a sparkle in his eyes. He had a cool, confident smile, and was sporting a white garment the looked similar to a robe or toga in some respects, but was different from nearly any outfit that Link had ever seen. The closest would be the unusual white jacket worn by a man that Link had met in the Kingdom of Ikana.  
  
The silence continued for several moments, Link unsure of how to respond. "Think of what?"  
  
"That creature behind you. I'll admit that outside of this room there aren't many good ways to camouflage it, but I'm happy with how it is at the moment."  
  
Link turned to look at the eight living pillars behind him again, noting that they hadn't moved any closer to him, and turned back towards the odd man in the white garment. "Who are you?"  
  
The man just smiled and snapped his fingers. A section of the wall next to the man simply disappeared, revealing what looked like a hallway just outside. The man walked through, with Link following just behind him. The wall reappeared as they continued to walk down the long corridor.  
  
"Let's see, who am I? Well,....I suppose my name is Doctor Edward Kidnastoff, though I've not been addressed directly by name for quite some time. You know, Link, you've got a chance to help me a great deal."  
  
"Really? How is that?"  
  
The doctor didn't answer, but instead snapped his fingers just as they were about to pass a door in the hallway. As before, he entered with Link following. They were now in a room that was filled with bottles and pots containing liquids and powders; cages and aquariums contained very unusual animals and plants of every size, shape and color; tables covered with equipment, tools and pieces of metal. There were even large, comfortable chairs next to bookcases filled with books and scrolls that appeared to be well read. From one of these the doctor picked up a leather-bound book that was covered in symbols that Link couldn't make out at all. The interior of the book was just the same. The doctor flipped through the pages, until he came to one that hadn't been completely filled with writing.  
  
"Let's see here. Link of the Kokiri Forest. You suddenly rose from obscurity and killed three notorious monsters in a very brief amount of time: Queen Ghoma, the Dodongo King, and Barinade who were, respectively, a gigantic spider creature, a fire breathing lizard of immense size, and a sea monster that could create and control electric flying jellyfish while firing lasers."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff looked up at Link as if to confirm this. Link nodded, and the doctor continued. "A short while later, you defeated four temple guardian monsters named Odolwa, Goht, Gyorg, and a team of two named Twinmold. The people I've spoken to say that you had to deal with an imp who had some mask a bit later, but that's hardly notable."  
  
"That's what you think," muttered Link, thinking back to those three days that seemed to stretch on forever. Dr. Kidnastoff didn't hear, however, and continued.  
  
"Then, approximately seven years later, you face off against a rapid succession of monsters in temples. A phantom of a mage named Ganandorf, a dragon named Volvagia, an amoebic gelatinous blob controlled by a creature named Morpha, and an incredibly powerful ghost named Bongo Bongo. This was all your doing?"  
  
Link nodded, still confused. "During that seven year gap," Dr. Kidnastoff said, "you didn't really have the chance for much battling against monsters due to a shortage of problems in the world that you were aware of. A zombie here, a stray winged serpent there, not much real action. However, your record against notable monsters is still one of the best that I have ever witnessed. Over ten very powerful monsters, and you're still a young individual. I wonder, thousands of years from now, which of these deeds will be best remembered?"  
  
"Well," Link stated, "they'd probably remember the whole incident with the mask for a while,...at least in Clock Town, they probably will....but if I'm remembered at all, I hope that it'll be for my part in stopping Ganandorf..."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff scoffed and flipped through a few pages of his book. "You will not be remembered for Ganandorf, except as a footnote. The legend will read 'How Ganandorf Was Vanquished,' not 'How Link Vanquished Ganandorf'. A dark mage of his caliber is in himself a legend. You, on the other hand, will be remembered for the vast amount of good that you did against the monsters, not just one villainous overlord. Defeating your monsters has saved villages, purified water supplies, turned bodies of water from solid ice to pleasant liquid, and released prisoners! You, my friend, are a monster slaying expert. Why, even recently you've had to face some problems. A mechanical bull at a ranch, and a mind controlling clump of seaweed in a large pool. Both dispatched easily."  
  
Link blinked. "How do you know about the seaweed? I only defeated Tyrtora a few hours ago!"  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff pulled back his sleeve and looked at a watch on a golden chain. Turning back to Link he said, "Actually, it's already the morning after you defeated Tyrtora. But that is still fast for word to fly to most people. I watched the whole event, though."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh, yes. Quite a show. I thought that the alligator had you for sure, but you proved resilient even against seemingly impossible odds."  
  
Several puzzle pieces quickly fell into place in Link's mind. This man, this Dr. Kidnastoff, seemingly had a fixation on monsters. He had said that he was pleased with how the giant pillar's that Link had encountered earlier had "turned out." After some thought, Link even remembered hearing Talon say something about a man dressed in white.  
  
"You were the one who gave that bull to Talon at the Lon Lon Ranch!"  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, of course. And to save your mind the strain I'll just tell you before you have another 'startling' revelation: I planted Tyrtora in Zora's Domain."  
  
Link quickly removed his sword and assumed a fighting stance. "Who are you and what do you want?"  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff's eyes seemed to sparkle at the sight of Link's sword, as if he had been waiting for this moment ever since he had first started talking to Link. He quickly jumped into one of the large chairs and stretched. "This could take a while. Have a seat, Link."  
  
Link looked at the chair directly opposite Dr. Kidnastoff suspiciously. "Don't worry, I have no wish to see you killed. Believe me, if I did I would've put you into a room with a dangerous animal that would've torn you to pieces in your sleep."  
  
Link cautiously sat down, as if afraid that the chair would attempt to eat him. It turned out to be the most comfortable chair that Link had ever tried, though that really didn't alleviate the adrenaline rush he was feeling. He kept the sword out of its sheath, just in case.  
  
"Now then," Dr. Kidnastoff chortled, "who am I and what do I want? Let's see here. First of all, you know that my name is Dr. Edward Kidnastoff. As for my occupation, I'm a maker of monsters."  
  
"Maker of monsters?"  
  
"Yes. Where do you think monsters come from?"  
  
"Well, I....I don't know where they come from. I just assumed that they came from the same places that people and animals did."  
  
"Well, a good number do. I believe that you're familiar with the Keese, the Wolfos, and the Lizalfos. Those, as far as I can tell, had similar origins to most other life forms. However, you can't believe that the robotic monsters and stone golems that you've encountered arrived through the natural process of life. A beamos is mechanical through and through, for instance. However, many of the more fantastic monsters of the world had to be created through other means. ReDeads, Gibdos, Stalfos and other undead creatures normally have to be created by a mage or through a death that involves dark magic, for instance."  
  
Link nodded. This made a certain amount of sense.  
  
"Now then, other monsters have to be created as well. That's where people like myself come in. I create monsters."  
  
"Why create monsters? They're constantly killing people!"  
  
"Eh. The money's good. In other worlds where magic isn't as strong there are those who wish to cause death and destruction in order to gain power and riches. Warlords, Greedy Business Despots, Supervillains....they're willing to pay very well for powerful monsters that are capable of squashing those few willing to stand in their way. Environments such as your own where magic is prevalent are excellent training and testing grounds for powerful monsters. You've even done in a few of my favorite creations, really: aside from that robotic bull and Tyrtora, you destroyed Barinade, Morphus, Bongo Bongo, and a doppleganger that I had created."  
  
"Doppleganger?"  
  
"An evil shadow creature that took on the form and characteristics of its enemy, which happened to be you. I believe you destroyed it shortly before destroying Morphus."  
  
"Now these monsters," Link began, not exactly sure of how he wished to proceed, "you say that you....you train and test them here?"  
  
"Yes, exactly. I determine their weaknesses, and sell improved versions of them to various forces of evil throughout the Universe. Now then, we come to-"  
  
"Wait! You IMPROVE them?" Link's mind was suddenly filled with images of raging behemoths that were incapable of receiving damage. If Morphus' nucleus hadn't always stayed close enough to act as a hookshot target....if Barinade had been granted a hide or armor that was impervious to a boomerang or Kokiri sword....if Bongo Bongo's eye had remained perpetually closed....  
  
Link jumped from his chair in an attempt to subdue Dr. Kidnastoff. As soon as he was within arms' reach, however, Link found himself being tossed across the room. He landed on the cold metal floor, unsure of just what had happened. He looked up to see Dr. Kidnastoff casually standing above him.  
  
"Link, that wasn't very bright. I'm a skilled genetics expert, and one of the most accomplished medical doctors of all time. I'm in the top physical condition, I've lived long enough to become highly skilled in the martial arts, and I've got the intelligence to anticipate any attack that you can surmount. Don't be a fool."  
  
"You're insane!" Link shouted. "You create killers and destroyers, watch their performances, create more efficient killers and destroyers, and then send them out to where they can cause the most pain and suffering? You can't expect me to just sit back and take it!"  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff's smile was wider than ever. "Yes I can, Link. You see, I hadn't been to Hyrule for a few centuries, and I decided that I could check on the progress of some of my older monsters while trying out a few new ones, the bull and Tyrtora being just a few examples of the toys that I have to try out at the moment. As soon as I saw your skill and technique when it came to vanquishing the bull, I decided to look into your history. Seeing that you've become something of an expert monster hunter, I chose to put you through a test in the form of Tyrtora. You passed with flying colors. What it comes down to, Link, is that I insist that you help me. You would be the ultimate test for my monsters, Link."  
  
Link jumped to his feet, glaring at the doctor's infuriating smile. "You can't keep me a prisoner here for too long. You've gotta be using some serious magic to keep a place like this running, and that's sure to be noticed by some of the good mages and sages in Hyrule who'll look for me when I go missing. I refuse."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff giggled like a school child as he placed the leather book back onto its shelf. "You won't. First of all, I don't use any magic whatsoever in this little space vessel of mine; it's all technology, something that your precious Hyrule could certainly do with more of. Second, do you remember all of the monsters of mine that you had defeated? Those were the perfected versions. If I had known what you were capable of, each of those monsters would have gone through some serious revisions. What it comes down to is this: any monster that I develop that you cannot defeat while you help me to test them will be unleashed in Hyrule. When you can't stop it, the monster will be marked as perfect and ready for the market. You are all that stands between my monsters and the loss of countless lives, Link. Like it or not, you're going to help me." 


	4. The Missing Link

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 4: The Missing Link  
  
*****  
  
"I had just finished my rounds," said Saria. "The Deku Sprout was in no danger, the Kokiri and Deku Scrub peace negotiations were going splendidly, nothing was amiss in the Lost Woods, and the reconstruction of some of the more decrepit passageways in the Forest Temple was going by without a hitch now that we've finally been able to eradicate some of the Poes who have been sneaking in lately. However, as I was about to look over the Kokiri Emerald I was interrupted by Navi. She was very flustered, but still capable of alerting me to the problem at hand."  
  
"I see," Rauru said, clearly in deep thought. "Navi, thank you for coming to this meeting. Would you please recount for us exactly what had happened on the night that Link vanished?"  
  
Navi nervously rose from her temporary perch on Saria's head and flew to the center of the circle. She didn't know why she felt nervous. She was, to an extent, a friend to each of the seven sages individually, thanks to her near-constant involvement in Link's life. The occasional lizalfo or skulltula could still creep into temples on occasion, and while any one of the sages certainly had the power to deal with such minor inconveniences on their own, they often found it to be a pleasant excuse to invite Link over for a chat.  
  
The seven together, however....there was a different feeling to the air. Their different personalities merged to create the distinct feeling of authority and wisdom. Even more noticeable, however, was the unspoken anxiety shared by each of the Sages. Not a bit of this was reduced by the weight of age and ceremony that was always present in the Temple of Time where the meeting was taking place. Rauru, the supposed leader of the Sages and the Sage of Light, had a much deeper furrow in his brow than ever. Saria, the Sage of the Forest, seemed more sad than worried, her perpetually childish form constantly pitted against her strong wisdom and enlightenment. Darunia, leader of the Goron City on Death Mountain and Sage of Fire, seemed to be angry (Navi assumed that he was mentally swearing vengeance on anyone or anything that harmed Link; he considered Link to be both a strong friend and an honorary brother). Ruto, Princess of the Zora race at Zora's Domain as well as the Sage of Water, looked very concerned indeed due to her slight infatuation with the hero of time who had saved her life not once but twice during the quest to defeat Ganandorf. Impa, the Sage of Shadow who had acted both as Princess Zelda's caretaker and bodyguard during her childhood, had the look of concentration often seen on a soldier who has come to terms with an inevitable battle that may very well mean great loss. Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit and the leader of the Gerudo thieves who lived at the desert's edge, seemed concerned, though her eyes demonstrated a suspicion that indicated she was willing to suspect anyone in the sudden disappearance of the Hero of Time. Finally, Princes Zelda, the Seventh Sage who had perfected the seal that trapped Ganandorf in the other realm, had an expression that seemed to mix the sadness of Saria with the anxiety of Ruto.  
  
"Navi?" Zelda said. Navi had let her mind wander. She'd been very flustered lately. "Sorry," Navi stated. "Well, last night Link and I were heading home from Zora's Domain. We had originally been sent to Zora's Domain to deliver some books and scrolls, but we encountered a monster named Tyrtora before leaving. Tyrtora seemed to be a highly intelligent form of seaweed that was capable of controlling the minds of the simpler animals in the water and then altering their size and abilities just enough to transform them into killing machines. Link narrowly killed Tyrtora, almost losing his own life in the process, and we stayed a few extra hours for a celebratory banquet that King Zora announced on the spot. Afterwards it was very late, but other than the recent Poe problems we've actually had decent night travel, so I felt safe traveling ahead....you know, for some extra exercise. I didn't go very far away, but when I turned around I saw this big glowing rectangle right about where Link had been previously. Link wasn't around, but Epona was. The rectangle disappeared just moments before I could reach it. I looked around for a while but couldn't find Link anywhere and...."  
  
Navi suppressed a choke. She and Link had developed an excellent relationship considering the relatively short period of time that they had known each other when compared to the other Kokiri, so she had some natural concern for him as a friend. However, acting as Link's guide and companion was also her duty appointed by the Great Deku Tree just before he died. If Link should die while she wasn't around, it would mean that she had failed in her duty just as much as she had failed as a friend. She had just admitted to seven people who were, quite possibly, the most influential beings in the local kingdoms, that she had failed. Navi quickly regained her composure and continued.  
  
"I couldn't find Link anywhere. I made sure that Epona could find her own way back to the Lon Lon Ranch before heading off to the Forest Temple where I related the entire story to Saria."  
  
"Thank you, Navi," said Rauru. Navi returned to the back of Saria's hat to hide from the eyes of the Sages as Rauru looked from one to the other.  
  
"In my experience," Rauru began, "what we have here is probably a magical door or gateway. I would also assume that the door does not always have to be in that location."  
  
"Why is that?" inquired Nabooru.  
  
"Because, unless I am mistaken, the path taken by Link was one of the more frequently traveled paths. Is that correct, Navi?"  
  
Navi made an affirmative sound from behind Saria's hat. She had been dangerously close to tears for the entire morning, and didn't want to risk it at the moment.  
  
"Now then, Navi's story did not include, and I'm sure that she will correct me if I am wrong, the acquisition of any unusual items or tokens. Had Link gained a magical jewel from this Tyrtora creature, then I would suggest that we go to search the location where Link was lost immediately. However, I propose that this gateway, if it was a gateway, was set as a trap for Link. For a time when no witnesses were present. Navi's presence might have easily gone unnoticed as she is so small. From the stories that Link tells, Navi is generally unnoticed by monsters even when she's right in front of them."  
  
"Wouldn't one of us have noticed a gateway like this?" asked Zelda. "Magic gateways take up more energy than simple teleportation as we all learned when we locked up Ganandorf. That much energy for more than a second or two would have definitely attracted one of the seven of us to its presence."  
  
"Not necessarily," Darunia grunted. "Due to the increased Poe population, sensing magic, especially evil magic, has been proving more difficult. The hundreds and hundreds of those phantoms are generating their own field of evil magic. This field could easily cause enough disturbance for something as unusual as a magical gateway to be dismissed as a usual magic fluctuation. It may, perhaps, be great enough to cause the problem to remain unnoticed entirely."  
  
Impa nodded in agreement. "The Poes themselves seem to fluctuate into Hyrule with the population jumping in leaps and bounds. Forty or fifty appear at a time without any apparent reason. The good spirits have been complaining lately."  
  
Ruto winced. "I can't wait to see this Poe problem settle down. Three of them just floated into my study chamber in the Water Temple the other day. How can there be so many arriving with so few deaths? We've had relative peace for months with only a few accidental deaths throughout the kingdom."  
  
"Well that's the unusual thing about Poes, Ruto," Impa responded. "Poes aren't like other ghosts. While both Poes and standard ghosts are composed of the same ethereal substances, ghosts are formed by the wandering minds of formerly dead creatures while Poes are created through concentrated hatred and anger. This creates a slight mental difference as well: most ghosts search for peace and rest from their form, while most Poes wish to cause pain and destruction to the rest of the world. Poes generally come into being artificially, really. While a dead person is capable of becoming a Poe in the afterlife, more often they are the after effects of intense anger and hatred or dark magic."  
  
"As fascinating as that is," Nabooru muttered, "we're here to discuss Link. How shall we go about locating our missing Hero of Time?"  
  
A desperate silence broke out throughout the chamber. No one had any true leads. After a few moments, Saria stepped forward.  
  
"I suggest," she said, "that we search for Link as Link would have searched for Link."  
  
Silence again broke out throughout the chamber, though more from confusion than desperation. Several moments passed before Zelda finally cleared her throat. "What?"  
  
"Well," continued Saria, "Link may very well be the greatest treasure hunter of our time. He found the three sacred stones within an amazingly short amount of time, and they had been separated for decades, perhaps centuries! Link repeatedly searched out and destroyed the golden Skulltulas for many people who had been cursed through them! According to what he's told us of his journey to Clock Town, he searched all types of terrain to collect more masks than the Happy Mask Salesman currently has for sale in his shop in the town! And, need I remind you, he found the seven of us."  
  
"Good point," Ruto stated. "So then, Saria, tell us: what was Link's method of treasure hunting?"  
  
"Patience and inquisitiveness," Saria replied. "Link simply asked everyone who could conceivably know anything about his present problems for their advice on a solution; most of the time they could give it. It didn't matter how much time he took, he always operated through the advice and suggestions of the common person. A villager here, a thief in the streets there, a recently defeated monster; it's part of the reason why he still, to this day, chooses to run errands for people when it isn't his problem: he collects favors and returned kindness."  
  
"So," Nabooru interrupted, "we are to randomly walk up to people and say, 'excuse me, but have you seen Link the Hero of Time? He's gone missing, and we need to find him'? Do you realize what a panic that would cause? The people of the land would quickly realize that their greatest hero and champion was missing, and also that the seven people most adept at solving this type of situation are, themselves, stumped."  
  
"Swallowing our pride may be the best option," Darunia retorted. "Yes, we are, as you put it, stumped. However, as anyone could tell you: it is more honorable to confess to a current dilemma that seems trivial than to wait to ask during a problem that is truly hopeless. As a wise person once said, 'It is better to beg for assistance in feeding a hungry monster than to beg for assistance in removing the monster's mouth from your neck.'"  
  
"Goron proverb?"  
  
"Yes. It doesn't translate well, I'm afraid."  
  
"Be that as it may, our missing hero isn't a small problem, it's a huge one. Your grain of wisdom isn't applicable here. I'm more concerned about public reaction."  
  
"Why?" asked Ruto. "You're the leader of the most notorious band of thieves in the land! Darunia is the head of all of the Goron warriors in Goron City, and the Big Goron is himself a force to be reckoned with. Zelda and I each have a royal army at our disposal. That isn't even mentioning the powers and abilities that each of us maintains independently. Keeping the peace shouldn't be a problem for us."  
  
*****  
  
"Saria?"  
  
Saria looked up from the book that she was reading. It was evening in the Kokiri Forest, and she had just been about to go to bed. She looked around, and saw Navi floating in her doorway.  
  
"Hi, Navi! What can I do for you?"  
  
"Well," Navi began, unsure of how to continue. She had a lot on her mind. "For starters it's,....well, Link's tree gets empty when....when Link isn't there, it's really noticeable how big that place is."  
  
"Ah, I see. Well, feel free to stay for a while and chat. Whole night if you want."  
  
Navi fluttered a few feet in and found a suitable perch on Saria's bed. She took a few moments to compose her thoughts before beginning to unload everything on her mind. "Are meetings between the Sages always so....are they always controversial like that?"  
  
"Well, not really. We haven't had many actual meetings, mind you. We generally meet at the Temple of Time once a month or so to discuss whatever issues we feel that the other Sages might be interested in knowing, but in general those gatherings don't take long. Sometimes we'll just talk about whatever we feel like after that, but in general the meetings aren't even necessary. Everyone was just a little on edge today. Link was an important person to all of us. He saved the entire kingdom from Ganandorf and his evil minions, and he saved the entire world when he went to Clocktown. Each of the Sages feels a certain friendship and loyalty to Link. In some ways, he has more influence than Princess Zelda."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Well, think about it. He's probably got more political recognition in Hyrule than your average war hero."  
  
"That doesn't challenge Zelda's authority."  
  
"No, but he's considered to be a brother by Darunia, the most influential Goron for miles. He has all the rights of members of the Royal Family in Zora's Domain; you were there when they just started letting him wander in and out of Jabu-Jabu's Domain as was needed. Neither the Goron's nor the Zora are governed by Princess Zelda; so you see, his political appearance has a broader scope even if it doesn't stretch as high. And that's just on the legal side of the world; he's considered to be an honorary member of the Gerudo Thieves. No male other than Link has ever been given that honor when born outside the Gerudo society."  
  
"Oh." This casual discussion didn't really change Navi's moods any. "Saria, are any of the sages angry at me?"  
  
"Why should they be angry at you?"  
  
"Well,....staying with Link is my job. I'm not a protector, but I'm a constant companion, guide, and occasional tool. If I'd been closer, I might've been able to figure out what that rectangle was! Link might've been ambushed by it, and I could've warned him in time to prevent anything from happening! Link's disappearance is my fault, and all of the Sages are angry or confused, and...."  
  
Navi didn't know how to continue. She hadn't cried at all, and she was proud of that, but now she had a horrible hollow feeling that she couldn't get rid of. Saria was the only Sage that she really felt comfortable discussing this with.  
  
"Well, I don't think any of the sages are angry at you," Saria said. "I don't think any of us even considered you as being anything but helpful. You told us about the rectangle, and you told us that Link was missing much sooner than anyone else would have. The Sages just have individual styles that clash. Nabooru and Darunia, for instance, are both honest and honorable individuals, but they each have a different definition for the terms honesty and honor. He wouldn't steal to save his life, and she believes that stealing from rich people who know that she's a thief is all right. If they can't protect their wealth from self-proclaimed thieves, they don't deserve it according to her logic."  
  
A small weight was lifted from Navi, though she still felt terrible. She wasn't ready to leave Saria just yet. "Saria,...Saria, what will I do?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"If Link never comes back....what will I do if Link never comes back?"  
  
"Well, I...I don't know. I suppose that you could go spend time with other fairies. Head to those fountains and see what's going on at the moment."  
  
"No! No, I can't!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"That's a step back. Younger fairies live in the fountains because it's dangerous to go elsewhere. For a companion fairy like me to return to a fountain....that's the lowest humiliation that I could suffer! It'd be an admission of defeat! The only thing that a fairy in a fountain can do is to vent their magic on travelers who wander through with injuries."  
  
Saria didn't know what to say. She had never really considered just what a fairy's life was like. All she really knew were her experiences with the Kokiri fairies, the stories that Link had about other fairies like Tatl and Tael, her occasional trips to the Great Fairies....  
  
"Say, Navi, have you considered talking to one of the Great Fairies? One of them might have something for you to do until Link can be found."  
  
Navi sat motionless. She had, in the back of her mind, known that going to see a Great Fairy would probably be in her future. She didn't know how a meeting like that would go. The Great Fairies were always friendly and kind on her previous trips....but she had also never encountered them on situations like these. On the one hand, maybe she was over-reacting. However, she still couldn't shake the feeling that the Great Fairies wouldn't be thrilled to see her. 


	5. The Monster Maker 3000

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 5: The Monster Maker 3000  
  
*****  
  
After Link had been forced into an ethical corner by Dr. Edward Kidnastoff, he had been permitted a day of rest before the "fun would begin," as Dr. Kidnastoff continued to put it. At first Link had wondered why Dr. Kidnastoff hadn't searched Link and removed any items from his possession, but the two answers soon became clear. First of all, Dr. Kidnastoff wanted Link to be in his top monster-fighting condition so that he would be able to improve upon the monsters until they had reached a point where not even the most cleverly assembled weapons in Hyrule could stand a chance against them. Second, as Link soon discovered, not a single item that he had with him was capable of allowing him to escape. His lens of truth was never able to discover any hidden switches of controls that could activate doors or other methods of escape. The Megaton Hammer, while noisy, was never even capable of producing a dent in the metal that the floors and walls were made of. He considered teleporting out of the citadel that he was trapped within, but he only had the Fairy Ocarina with him; previous attempts had proven that only the Ocarina Of Time was capable of teleporting.  
  
"If only Zelda would just let me keep the thing," Link muttered to himself as he waited in a large chamber that Dr. Kidnastoff had referred to as the "Creation Lab." "It's not like she's ever really used the thing aside from when she sent me on my way back to the past after I got rid of Ganandorf...."  
  
The room was nearly identical to the one that Link had aroused in on the previous morning just before meeting the doctor for the first time. The only differences were that there were no pillars supporting the ceiling, Link could clearly see the door that he came in through behind him (though it was firmly locked), a massive set of double doors were on the opposite wall, and another room could be seen through a window high on the ceiling. Dr. Kidnastoff was in that room, working at some sort of control panel, preparing Link for his first "monster training session."  
  
"Okay, Link!" shouted a disturbingly cheerful Dr. Kidnastoff from the room above (Link suspected some form of room-to-room communication device had been installed to make Dr. Kidnastoff's voice capable of traveling that far). "I'm about ready to unleash my first monster. Ready?"  
  
Link nodded, hoping that he would have similar luck to when he had faced the doctor's previous creations.  
  
"Now then, Link, just so that you know what's happening: those giant double doors are the exit from my Monster Maker 3000, a machine that I've been gradually improving over the years. As I speak the machine is "loading" the genetic data about one of my more recent monster designs from a thing called a "computer." The machine uses the data to create the monster to the most precise specifications. The process still has some performance flaws, but nothing that should hamper either of our schedules. We both have all the time in the world , after all. Now then, your first monster is a little thing that I've whipped together called 'Arachnid.' Enjoy!"  
  
Link heard a click as Dr. Kidnastoff finished speaking (he assumed that the communication device had been turned off), and saw the giant double doors shake. As the doors opened a good amount of steam poured out, accompanied by the shrieking of bending metal and what sounded like a familiar laugh. The steam quickly cleared, however, revealing the monster named Arachnid.  
  
Link's first thought upon seeing Arachnid was that it resembled a gigantic spider, not entirely unlike Queen Ghoma but larger and with more eyes. The creature rose onto its eight segmented legs and stared in Link's direction. Link prepared for a standard battle with a giant spider before he saw something directly behind the monster....a ninth leg?  
  
Link stared stupidly for a moment before the ninth extension lifted above the giant spider's body, arcing above and holding itself like a snake ready to strike. Instead of being a leg that narrowed as it approached the end, this appendage actually became thicker until it ended in a gigantic spike. Link instantly recognized this as a scorpion's tail.  
  
Arachnid quickly skittered through the double doors and jumped straight into the air. Before Link could blink Arachnid was crawling across the ceiling, at least two stories above Link's head. It poised its tail, and aimed it at Link.  
  
"Weird," Link whispered to himself. "a spider with a scorpion's tail. Could've picked a better name than 'Arachnid,' maybe,....at least I'm out of the tail's range."  
  
As soon as Link finished that sentence, a thick webbing rocketed from the scorpion tail. Link pulled out his shield just in time to avoid being slammed in the chest by the webbing, but he wasn't prepared for the force that the webbing had. Likewise, he wasn't prepared for the webbing to spread out.  
  
Link found himself lying on his back beneath his shield, held down by a very thick spider web. He pushed up against the shield, but the webbing was much too sturdy. He heard a loud thump and felt a decent shaking of the ground, indicating that Arachnid had jumped down from the ceiling. This was confirmed by the sound of the eight legs stomping on the ground as they approached.  
  
Link struggled to maneuver himself under the shield so that he was kneeling on the ground. He needed to perform Din's Fire, but didn't know if he could call forth the required magic while not having enough room to stand. He strained to push himself up as high as he could.  
  
A second later, however, he felt one of Arachnid's massive legs pushing down on the shield, most likely in an attempt to crush him. Without wasting any time Link attempted to perform Din's Fire. Able only to lightly slap the ground that he was kneeling on, Link was surprised when Din's Fire seemed to activate just as strong as ever! The fire spread and quickly removed the webbing that was covering him.  
  
Before Link even had a chance to try and push against Arachnid, he heard a high-pitched scream as the weight was removed. Link peeked from beneath his shield and saw Arachnid covered in flames, running around like a maniac and shrieking in pain. Link quickly jumped out of Arachnid's way as it nearly barreled into him. After that, however, Link simply watched in confusion as the giant monster gradually slowed down before stopping entirely, falling from its eight feet, and slowly turning to ash.  
  
Link blinked in confusion. "That's it?"  
  
Link heard the click of the communication device again as Dr. Kidnastoff looked into the room from above. "Well done, Link!"  
  
"Well done? Thanks, but don't you think you could've given it a bit more....endurance?"  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff sighed as he began operating the controls for the machine. "Well, I forgot to fireproof it. Normally my stronger monsters like this are fireproofed before I test them, but it must've slipped my mind with this one."  
  
Link nodded. "Ah, I see. Is that all, then?"  
  
"Oh, far from all, Link. This is just the beginning of the day. You're going to be going through at least three monsters a day, normally more. Get ready, because I'm going to be sending out some more any second now."  
  
Link grimaced as he heard the squeal of the double doors opening yet again, accompanied by the familiar laughing and the smoke pouring out....  
  
*****  
  
After Arachnid came Fweep, a giant bat-like creature that created massive dust clouds that prevented its prey from seeing. Before Link figured out just what was happening, he had been rammed into by Fweep, bitten, and snatched from the ground before being dropped from the ceiling. Fortunately, Link's Lens Of Truth was able to make Fweep visible enough for its attacks to be less effective than they otherwise might have been.  
  
Hive attacked next, a man-sized being composed entirely of seemingly sentient ants. Like fired arrows into Hive, but it could reform itself fast enough to move every ant out of the way before the arrow could hit. Link attempted Din's Fire, but Dr. Kidnastoff seemed to have remembered the fire-proofing for this one. Link almost gave up before he checked his Lens Of Truth and saw a giant queen-ant sitting in the corner. Several well-placed arrows aimed at her, and Hive was out of commission.  
  
Next came Wortastrev. Wortastrev was a living shadow that generated itself through a large golden sphere of light that was constantly hovering behind Link. The shadow was intangible whenever Link attempted to slice it with his sword or any other weapon. Link would have tried to destroy the mini-sun that was creating the light that Wortastrev was being generated from, but no matter how he turned the mini-sun was always able to stay behind him. Link was saved when a strong uppercut from Worstastrev caused Link to drop the majority of his inventory on the ground, including his mirror shield. The mirror shield landed behind Wortastrev and simultaneously pierced the living shadow with a brilliant beam of light and temporarily blinded Link.  
  
By now Link was exhausted. He picked up his possessions, hoping that Dr. Kidnastoff didn't have anything else. He mentally prayed as the now-familiar click announced Edward's post-match commentary.  
  
"Nicely done, Link!" Edward jovially responded, as if Link had just won an archery competition instead of narrowly pulling out of a life and death situation. "Brilliant strategy, that shield."  
  
"That was an accident," Link admitted between pants. "Never would've thought of it myself....the angle's wouldn't have worked out, I wouldn't have let go of the shield at all...."  
  
"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself! The solution would've come to you, you have this method of going over options until you find one that works. And even without that, I'm beginning to think that you have a natural luck that is capable of affecting things physically. If only I could measure that and harness it...."  
  
"Can we call it quits for the evening, Dr. Kidnastoff?"  
  
"Well,....maybe." Dr. Kidnastoff checked a few monitors and readouts from his control booth. "The Monster Maker 3000 has worked pretty hard today, I wouldn't want to push it too far...."  
  
Link's heart leaped with joy.  
  
"Well,....I think it can take one more monster. That should do it."  
  
Link groaned inwardly as Dr. Kidnastoff pulled a lever and pushed some buttons. "Your next monster is one that I designed while you were destroying the bull at the ranch, Link! I call him Nightmare! He's one of the more costly monsters to create, but I think that the Monster Maker 3000 has just enough energy for-"  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff was interrupted by a large explosion from just behind the double doors of his Monster Maker, an explosion that caused the doors to fall from their hinges. Both Link and Dr. Kidnastoff stared in terror at the smoke that poured out, for it was blacker than any that had come forth from it so far that day. Link heard the familiar laughter again, and looked up at the doctor.  
  
"Just what is that laugh, anyway? I've heard it before, but I haven't been able to place it yet."  
  
"Well, you see, the Monster Maker 3000, like so many other machines, has to create waste," Dr. Kidnastoff shouted from his control room, still keeping an eye on the smoke that was still spreading. "Machines powered by fire leave ashes and pour smoke into the air, machines powered by unstable radioactive materials can create toxic oozes and gasses,....my machine, however, is different in that it creates a waste product that is ethereal in nature."  
  
"Ethereal?"  
  
"You know, basically the same substances that ghosts and spirits are made of. Ectoplasmic entities!"  
  
"You mean this machine creates ghosts as a waste product?"  
  
"Not ghosts, per se. More like concentrated entities of pure hatred and evil that take a ghost-like form."  
  
Link blinked when he heard that, instantly remembering where he had heard that high-pitched laughter before. As if on cue, his suspicions were confirmed when the smoke cleared to reveal at least thirty Poes hovering in the air, each glaring at Link and laughing its annoying, high-pitched laughter.  
  
"YOU'RE MACHINE MAKES POES???"  
  
"Is that what you call them? Yes, it does. Normally those leave the machine through exhaust pipes that leave this base and send them into the surrounding environment. The exhaust pipes must've been damaged by the explosion. I'm afraid you'll have to defeat those Poes, Link, the chamber is designed with safety features to ensure that dangerous creatures such as these can't leave. Those doors behind you won't be able to open until after you're the only one standing in there."  
  
Link nodded. Somehow he knew that he was going to have to deal with these things. As three Poes broke from the main group and rushed him, Link sighed. "At least they're only normal-sized and not Big ones...."  
  
*****  
  
The Poes actually weren't nearly as tough as Link had been expecting them to be. He had been able to fire Light Arrows at the main group of them, and the arrow nearly always impacted (and destroyed) at least four of them right off the bat because not enough of the Poes recognized that they were targets quickly. Sixteen of them all together fell to arrows (mostly light arrows, but Link decided to conserve his magic as he was running dangerously low and switched to normal arrows), while the rest met their doom through Link's sword. For some reason these Poes didn't turn into tiny flames when they were beaten, they simply disappeared. Dr. Kidnastoff claimed that this was because these Poes hadn't had nearly as much time to "settle into their current forms" as most Poes do. Link had the sneaky suspicion that Dr. Kidnastoff was just making that up, but he was too tired to press it.  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff provided decent healing and recuperation facilities for Link after the fighting, complete with refreshments: foods and drinks that weren't too far off from a typical meal in Hyrule (though Link noted the inclusion of fruits and vegetables that definitely weren't from his part of the world). After Dr. Kidnastoff had properly tended to Links wounds, he requested that Link wait in the room so that he could gain some rest.  
  
"I pushed the Monster Maker 3000 too far, I'm afraid," said Dr. Kidnastoff as he applied the last bandage, apparently unaware of the two bottled fairies that Link had in his possession. "There's been some serious damage. I'm going to assess just how long it should take for the repairs to be completed. I've got some mechanical workers called 'robots' working on some of the more obvious repairs, but I should take a look at it so that they can know precisely what it is that they need to do."  
  
So saying, Dr. Kidnastoff departed through a door that promptly turned into a wall as soon as he passed through it. Link took the opportunity to assess what he currently knew about the situation.  
  
"Let's see, the Monster Maker 3000 creates Poes. That probably means that Dr. Kidnastoff is responsible for the unusual growth in the Poe population in Hyrule. Now, those Poes have been showing up all across Hyrule, so this place is probably located somewhere close to the middle of Hyrule. I think."  
  
Link pondered that thought for a few moments. Navi was generally better at coming up with quick solutions. Since the Poes were pretty much popping up everywhere from the Desert Colossus to Jabu-Jabu's lake beyond Zora's Domain, then a central origin point would be the most likely place for them to be coming from, right? The only difficulty with that theory was that Poes normally haunted the same locations without ever leaving them, meaning that the Poes would just cover all of the ground in a relatively small area. Unless....  
  
"Unless the Monster Maker 3000 was moving!" Link thought to himself. "If that machine is moving, then the Poes would be popping up wherever the doctor happened to be working at the time....which would mean that this whole place could be moving!"  
  
Link thought about that for a second. If this labyrinth of metal passages was constantly moving, it would certainly explain why the Poes were popping up everywhere.  
  
This made Link a little nervous. He had been hoping that someone would find him, such as one of the Sages or Navi. If this place was constantly moving around, then it could theoretically take forever for any search party to locate him, and by then Link might've been killed by one of the doctor's monsters.  
  
After a little more thinking, Link came to the most reasonable course of action that he could given the circumstances: hoping for help from the outside world wasn't truly an option. Even if half of Hyrule was looking for Link, they might have trouble finding this place if it was, in fact, moving.  
  
"Might not even be moving at all," Link muttered to himself. "maybe its something else."  
  
The door reappeared just then, only long enough for Dr. Kidnastoff to come in. He was wearing gloves, and his lab coat was now covered with oil and ashes. The doctor walked over to the refreshment table and poured himself a drink.  
  
"Well Link, you'll have about a day to rest," Dr. Kidnastoff said. "I miscalculated just how powerful Nightmare would be. Even gathering the required energy was a stretch, but putting the monster together is something that I'll just have to wait a while for. Only when the Monster Maker 3000 is in its prime condition, really, and it'll take a little work to get it to that level."  
  
Link nodded, but he wasn't really paying attention. He needed to think of some way to get word to the outside. Whether or not Dr. Kidnastoff's base was moving didn't really matter. He just needed to make sure that people knew to look for him wherever the Poes were appearing. 


	6. Back to the Fountain, Back to the Bottle

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 6: Back to the Fountain, Back to the Bottle  
  
*****  
  
Navi fluttered around the fairy fountain, quietly mourning her most recent position. Her meeting with the Great Fairy hadn't ended quite as well as she would have liked.  
  
At first the Great Fairy was very understanding. "Navi, don't feel so upset. Link's death would have released the Triforce from his hand, and I would have certainly felt that. Wherever he is, he is most likely fairing well."  
  
These encouraging words were, however, quickly followed by the ones that she had been dreading. "Navi, you are to return to the fairy fountain near the Forest Temple. Until more about Link's absence is known, there are other ways that you can help the world."  
  
Navi had effectively been demoted from a companion fairy to a baby-sitter for the fairy children in this fountain. Most of them were too young to form coherent statements while others were simply too busy performing acrobatics above the fountain's water to truly notice or care about Navi. Some of them were decently intelligent, but generally only those who were themselves about to mature and leave the fountain. Those fairies realized what Navi must be going through and, for lack of any proper experience in the matter, opted to ignore her and simply hope that she cheered up.  
  
Navi had spent the first few hours of her time in the fountain crying. She found a quiet little corner as far from the other fairies as she could before crying about everything that had happened since Link had disappeared. She had failed Link, the Great Deku Tree, the Sages, and (she had somehow convinced herself) the Great Fairies as well. She didn't know if she would ever be allowed to advance out of the fountain if Link was never found. As far as she knew, she was the first fairy to ever face such a great dishonor.  
  
After she finished crying she took up moping. She half-heartedly fluttered from one side of the fountain to the other, steadily growing bored and angry. Surely the Great Fairy didn't intend for her to stay here, did she? How could anyone return to the play pen that they had been born in? She had consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, sticking to Link against seemingly insurmountable odds. Ganandorf, Twinrova, Morpha, Bongo Bongo,....she could have easily been killed by any of them. How many of the other fairies from the Kokiri Forest ever had to put up with that kind of constant danger?  
  
Through her anger her sadness gradually returned. Going above and beyond the call of duty was what she was expected to do. It's what any companion fairy would be expected to do. Failing as she had failed was simply inexcusable, she knew that.  
  
Navi slowly sank to the ground to rest.  
  
*****  
  
Link had to time it just right or he might never escape. Link carefully examined the bottle that he had pulled from his inventory, and the fairy that was sitting inside of it just waiting to be released. He had two fairies at the moment, but he didn't want to count on a second chance. In one swift motion, Link opened the bottle and hurled it across the room that Dr. Kidnastoff had given him to stay in. The fairy quickly zipped out of the bottle and raced towards Link, but Link wasn't going to let it touch him. He knew that the fairy would vanish as soon as it had "healed" him.  
  
"Oh, no you don't!" Link shouted as he pulled out his shield, determined not to allow the fairy to get close enough to him. The fairy tried to reach him, but only managed to bounce off of his shield at every attempt. After bouncing on the shield about five times, the fairy stopped and hovered in the air.  
  
"I can help!" the fairy chimed. "I can make you feel better!"  
  
"No, I don't need that," Link said. "I need you to send a message for me."  
  
"Message?" The fairy seemed to hop in the air. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean....I need you to tell someone something that's very important."  
  
"Important?"  
  
"Do you know who...do you know who Princess Zelda is?"  
  
"I know of Zelda! Zelda lives in a big castle in Hyrule! She's got dragons and guards and paintings and things!"  
  
"Well, not quite, but she does live in a castle. Do you know how to find the Castle?"  
  
The fairy simply continued to hover.  
  
"Ah. Well. Do you know....do you know Saria? Saria the Sage of the Forest? A Kokiri girl?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Do you think that you could remember some names and a story?"  
  
"Yes! Yes yes!!! I love stories! We tell stories at the fountain! Fairies remember things well!"  
  
Link breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Now then, there are some people that you should tell this story to. If you can find Princess Zelda, Navi the fairy, Saria the Kokiri, Rauru the...the Sage, Darunia the Goron, Princess Ruto of the Zora, Impa the Sheikah, or Nabooru the leader of the Gerudo thieves of the desert, then you tell the story to them. Can you remember those names?"  
  
"Zelda, Navi, Saria, Rauru, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, Nabooru!"  
  
"Good! Oh, and if you see a Great Fairy before any of these people, can you tell them?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I can't talk to a Great Fairy! They're too important for me."  
  
"Okay then, no Great Fairies. Now, here's the story. It's a story about me."  
  
*****  
  
"This is a nice place."  
  
"No it's not."  
  
Saria had come to see Navi. She had been concerned when Navi didn't speak to her after she met with the Great Fairy. After making some inquiries, Saria traced Navi to the fairy fountain just outside of the Forest Temple. When she arrived she had eventually found Navi hiding behind a pillar in the back.  
  
"Just so you know, the search for Link is going pretty well."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well,....the six other sages and I are talking to people here and there, covering a lot of ground. If he's anywhere in Hyrule, then we're sure to find someone who knows where he is soon!"  
  
Navi seemed to perk up at this, though not much. "Well, that's good to know."  
  
*****  
  
"Link was kidnapped by a man who calls himself Doctor Edward Kidnastoff. This person can make evil monsters with a big machine. When this machine is working, it makes Poes who go to Hyrule through pipes. The pipes might be moving, but Link isn't sure."  
  
"Perfect!" Link exclaimed. This fairy had memorized Link's distress call on the first attempt. "Now I know how Navi knows everything about monsters whenever we run into 'em. Okay, now! Who do you tell this story to again?"  
  
"Zelda, Navi, Saria, Rauru, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, Nabooru!"  
  
"Right! Now, tell me the story just one more time before I work on getting you out of here."  
  
*****  
  
"So what happens to these fairies after they heal someone?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, that. Well, they generally just fade to another plane of existence where they recuperate their magical energy for about a week before heading back to a fountain or wherever they were hiding."  
  
"Ah," Saria commented. She'd been gradually building Navi back up to her normally cheerful self, but she was running out of topics of discussion. Fortunately, Navi thought of one for her.  
  
"Say, Saria? If Link's still okay....and the Great Fairy seemed to think that he would be....then why hasn't he tried to contact you with your song?"  
  
Saria blinked. She hadn't thought of that. She didn't show it, but she had a sudden pang of worry. The Great Fairy's statement had initially given her hope when she had asked Navi about how the meeting went, but aside from being alive what might his situation be? What if he couldn't reach the Fairy Ocarina? What if the Fairy Ocarina had been damaged? What if Link wasn't dead, but was dying? He might not be in any position to play the Ocarina.  
  
*****  
  
"Stupid Ocarina," Link muttered to himself. He hadn't even considered using Saria's Song earlier; his inability to teleport with the Ocarina had all but removed it from his mind as a still useful tool for escaping. However, when he attempted Saria's song he couldn't sense the normal mental connection that he usually did. Maybe the metal that Kidnastoff's base seemed to be entirely constructed from had some unusual properties that made it impervious to magic, or maybe part of the security measures designed to prevent monsters from getting loose would interfere with that type of mental communication.  
  
"Oh, well," Link sighed. "It was just a passing thought anyway. Still wish I'd thought of it sooner, though. Now then, back to business."  
  
Link looked over his supplies. The fairy, who's name was Paltu as Link learned through idle chat, was ready, as was the bottle and the basin of water that Dr. Kidnastoff had provided for him. Link knew from his many underwater experiences that fairies could hold their breath underwater for a nearly limitless amount of time. He was hoping that this was something that fairies could do naturally, and that it wasn't some learned trait that they picked up after leaving the fairy fountains.  
  
"Are you ready for this Paltu?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
"You remember the stories and the names?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
"Okay, then. We'll see how this works. Good luck, Paltu. I'm counting on you."  
  
So saying Link quickly swiped at Paltu with the bottle and then filled the bottle with water. After closing the bottle firmly, Link examined it just to make sure that it produced the desired effect. Sure enough, Paltu's light was being refracted by the water within the bottle, causing it to glow with a pale blue light. The water seemed to shimmer with the help of a magical aura shining from within. Which it technically was, Link thought after wondering just what Paltu was going to have to go through.  
  
"Just have to wait for a good opportunity to use this then," Link said. "If Kidnastoff was right about how long it would take for his Monster Maker 3000 to work again, I should be able to use this thing tomorrow." 


	7. Shopping Day

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 7: Shopping Day  
  
*****  
  
Vanteslad was the whimsical name chosen for Dr. Kidnastoff's first act the next morning. The monster was basically a six-foot tall flying silver sphere with two wires shaped like a "V" jutting from the top of it, and an "electronic eye," as the doctor put it. Edward informed Link that this mechanical monstrosity had been inspired by some "electronic toys" from his world's history, but Link didn't really appreciate it. He had seen ladders, for instance, and knew that they simply weren't electronic even when owned by a person named Jacob.  
  
Link had to concentrate on this fight more carefully than on any of the preceding ones. Not only did he still have to fight for his life, he also had to put on a convincing show of not knowing quite what to do. He decided that it was finally time for his few remaining bombs and arrows to be used.  
  
Vanteslad had two electric attacks to compliment its decent flying prowess. First, it seemed that whenever Link came within about ten feet of it, a bolt of lightning would surge straight out of the device towards him. Link assumed that this was a defense-based attack to deter enemies from getting close enough to cause damage. Second, the "V" shaped wires on the monster's top had the ability to create small arcs of electricity that would gradually climb the wires until vanishing with a zapping sound. From time to time, however, a little extra energy was tossed into the arcs, thus allowing Vanteslad to shoot the arcs of electricity in Link's direction.  
  
The monster itself didn't seem to be constructed as sturdily as some other robotic monsters, and it moved with a slow, purposeful flight. Link carefully aimed an arrow directly at Vanteslad's eye and was pleasantly surprised when that was all it took to make it fall to the ground. Link ran over to it, and slashed it repeatedly with his sword, but only heard dull clangs for his efforts. Sighing, Link pulled out a bomb, planted it right by Vanteslad and ran from it.  
  
Just about the time that Vanteslad's eye was regaining its light, the bomb went off. It careened wildly through the air for a few moments before settling down and resuming its pursuit of Link. Link checked his inventory: two arrows, one bomb. Link repeated the process as before, this time not even bothering with his attempts at slashing the creature to pieces. He was pleased to see that Vanteslad was injured once again by the attack, but a little unsure of how to continue without bombs.  
  
"Okay then," Link whispered to himself as the monster resumed its slow pursuit. "This is what I wanted. I just need to find some other weakness...."  
  
Link's eyes settled on Vanteslad's "V" shaped protrusion, and chose to focus on that. With his last arrow, Link aimed at the eye, and ran forward before Vanteslad could even fall to the ground. Hoping for a fast result, Link lifted his sword above his head and slammed it into the top of Vanteslad, hoping that the presence of the wiring could indicate a potential weakspot.  
  
Two things happened then, but Link was only aware of one of them. What Link was unaware of was that he had, in fact, hit a good weak point, one that pushed Vanteslad into complete disrepair. What Link was aware of were the thousands of volts of electricity that began to painfully course through his body. After a few moments, Link simply fell to the floor.  
  
*****  
  
Link felt an icy splash of water on his face.  
  
"Link? Link, wake up!"  
  
Link opened his eyes slowly. He was looking straight into the concerned eyes of Dr. Kidnastoff who was leaning over Link, holding what may have been a recently emptied bucket of water.  
  
"Link? Good, you're up! I thought for a second that Vanteslad had been the end of you there."  
  
Link slowly rose to his feet, shaking his head. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah. In fact, my diagnostic instruments claimed that you were dead for a few moments. Then I saw this weird pinkish, reddish light fly around you for a few seconds, and then the instruments claimed that you were alive again. It looked like you would've gotten on your feet instantly if Vanteslad hadn't blown up just a foot from where you were sitting. Apparently when defeated his self-destruction mechanism has a delayed reaction that I wasn't counting on."  
  
Link blinked a few times before he realized what had happened. He actually had died, but one of his two fairies had been able to revive him. Link discreetly checked his inventory just to make sure that he hadn't lost the wrong fairy, and was pleased to discover that he hadn't.  
  
"Link, what happened out there? You had a good strategy: blind it, make it fall to the floor, and drop an explosive onto it! Why'd you change at the end there? You could've been killed!"  
  
"Well," Link said, trying to phrase his next thoughts very carefully, "I've actually been running a little low on supplies lately."  
  
"Supplies?"  
  
"Yeah. You didn't think that I had a limitless supply of arrows and bombs on me, did you?"  
  
"Well,....I actually hadn't considered that, Link. You ran out of explosives?"  
  
"Yeah, and arrows. And while we're on the subject, I'm practically out of magic energy."  
  
A look of terror crossed Dr. Kidnastoff's face. "But you can't run out of these things if I'm to continue the training sessions! Part of your defensive luck is, if my theory holds true, your ability to carry just the right weapons at just the right time!"  
  
"Yeah, that comes in handy," Link said. "Unfortunately, I'm going to be pretty limited in my fighting style until I can get some fresh supplies."  
  
The doctor thought for a few moments and nodded. "All right, then! I'll be able to make some new arrows and explosives for you!"  
  
"No! No, that wouldn't do at all. You see, I....um, I...I know these particular weapons really well, that's why I use them so frequently. And....and besides, you said that there isn't a trace of magic in this place most of the time, right? How are you going to make something to replenish my magic if you're not experienced with the subject?"  
  
"I see you're point, Link. Well, what should we do?"  
  
Link smiled. This was just the time that he had been waiting for. "Well, first let's determine just what I need. I need at least one bottle of green potion...that's a potion that replenishes magic, just so you know...., arrows and explosives. Now, I only ever buy green potions from the potion shop in Hyrule Castle's Market. I only ever get my arrows from a little shop located in the Kokiri Forest. Finally, and this is the most important to remember: I only purchase bombs from a shop located within the Goron City on top of Death Mountain. Did you get all of that?"  
  
"I think so. You need a...green, I think....potion from the Hyrule Castle Market's potion shop. You need arrows from a shop in a forest-"  
  
"It has to be the Kokiri Forest."  
  
"From the Kokiri Forest, got it. And you buy bombs from a city on top of a mountain?"  
  
"Goron City on top of Death Mountain! Don't go to the wrong part of that mountain, or you'll be burned to a crisp! And just so you know, Goron City isn't all the way at the top of the mountain, it's actually located within the mountain after you go a good way up. Past the Dodongo Caves, but before you pass the Big Goron."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff pulled out a piece of paper and a pen to write all of the information down.  
  
"Let's see, that's the green potion from the Hyrule Castle Market's potion shop, arrows from the Kokiri Forest, and bombs from the Goron City shop located inside Death Mountain....right?"  
  
"Right!"  
  
"Okay, then! I'm off to get your supplies! I'll leave the door to your room open, Link."  
  
As Dr. Kidnastoff turned towards the door to leave, Link pulled out Paltu's bottle and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but how will you pay for all of this?"  
  
Edward spun around. "Well, I'd been planning on just stealing them, really, and-"  
  
"Sorry, but I won't fight with weapons that I don't steal myself, and then only from people who deserve it. No way that I'd use weapons stolen from these fine shopping establishments."  
  
"So what do you suggest?"  
  
"Well, because you were so kind as to not take away all of my possessions, I've been able to hold onto this rare bottle of Zora Fire Water."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff looked at the bottle and whistled. "What makes it glow like that?"  
  
"Magic, Dr. Kidnastoff. Magic. No one knows exactly how Zora's make the stuff, they won't even tell me. However, they were more than happy to give me a bottle of the stuff after I managed to take care of Tyrtora."  
  
"Is it valuable?"  
  
"Valuable? Yeah, you could say that. Not many people in Hyrule even know about this stuff outside of Zora's Domain, but it's basically exactly like alcohol but it won't make a person drunk. It's also got some healing properties, and can be used as a light source in dark places."  
  
"So you're saying that I should sell this?"  
  
"Right. Sell it at the potion shop before you buy the green potion. The guy at the counter probably won't have heard about the stuff, but if I were you I would insist that he buy the stuff for no less than two-hundred Rupees. That should give you more than enough. Oh, and you'll need to take one of my empty bottles, my bomb bag, and my quiver to carry the goods in when you buy them."  
  
"Oh! Yes, of course."  
  
Link handed over the empty bottle, the quiver, the bomb bag and Paltu's bottle. "Take good care of this stuff, Dr. Kidnastoff. Don't get swindled by anyone, mind you!"  
  
"All right. Thanks, Link. I should be back soon!"  
  
As soon as the doctor was out of sight, Link couldn't keep himself from grinning. Without a horse there was no way that Dr. Kidnastoff could make the trip from Hyrule Castle's Market to the Kokiri Forest to the top of Death Mountain in a short amount of time. Link would at least have a few days to himself. That should be more than enough time.  
  
*****  
  
"I tell you the guy swindled me!"  
  
The guard captain in charge of investigating commercial frauds carefully took notes as the proprietor of the potion shop fumed, holding an empty bottle in his hands.  
  
"What exactly happened?"  
  
"Well, this guy comes in and he's got this bottle that looks like it's got sparkling river water with some magic glowing stuff in it. He tells me that it's "Zora Fire Water," and that he's not willing to sell it for less than 200 Rupees. I've never heard of this stuff, but he says that it's got healing properties, it's like non-alcoholic alcohol, and that it's really rare outside of Zora's Domain, so naturally I had to get my hands on this stuff. Then he bought some green potion, and left without saying a word. That was yesterday. This morning I decide to open it up to see if I can get a taste of it before selling it, and out pops a fairy who flies away without saying a thing! The bottle pretty much just had water in it. Water!"  
  
The guard scribbled the notes, nodding. "Could you describe this person?"  
  
"Yeah, about six-foot-four, brown hair, and he was wearing this really unusual white coat thing."  
  
"White coat?"  
  
"Yeah, but it was also kind of like a toga crossed with a robe, if you get my meaning."  
  
"Not really, sir."  
  
*****  
  
Dr. Edward Kidnastoff darted onto the bridge that joined the outside world to the Kokiri Forest just moments after a rooster crowed, signaling the beginning of a new day. He had made the mistake of taking a casual scenic stroll towards the Kokiri Forest when he left the Hyrule Castle Market. By lunch time he had been attacked by roughly nine of the....what did Link call them? Poes? Due to his highly developed physical prowess, he was able to dispatch of them easily, of course. However, he didn't expect it to attract the attention of even more Poes.  
  
By evening he had roughly one hundred Poes chasing him across Hyrule Field. A few creatures that resembled the skeletons of children attempted to rise and attack him, but the Poes were so fierce that the skeletal children were themselves demolished before they could attempt much of anything.  
  
The Poes seemed reluctant to pass beyond the log entrance to the Kokiri Forest, so Dr. Kidnastoff decided to take a short breather before continuing to the Kokiri Village just on the other side of the bridge. He carefully examined his prize, the green potion. He still had the required Rupees to purchase arrows and explosives, he believed, so the mission was going well. If only these places weren't placed so far apart!  
  
Deciding to continue, Dr. Kidnastoff confidently strode into the Kokiri Village and gasped at the sight. It was straight out of a fairy tale, a village of children with excessively pointed ears living harmoniously in the hollows of trees. "Nice place. Really peaceful," he said as he aimlessly wandered through the village. He had often admired the more pristine locations of the worlds where he tested monsters, and often considered selecting one as a potential candidate for a retirement home. This Hyrule might not be too bad, really. As long as he was willing to alter his choice of clothing a bit, and as long as his hair always prevented people from seeing that his ears were much rounder than their own pointy ones, he could easily fit in without being noticed by anyone.  
  
"Hey! Mister!"  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff looked in the direction that he had heard the voice come from, but he couldn't see a thing other than a building.  
  
"Up here!"  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff looked up and saw a young Kokiri girl sitting on top of an awning over the entrance to the building. "Yes?"  
  
"Lookin' for something?"  
  
"Well, yes. I need to find a shop where they sell arrows."  
  
"They sell 'em here!"  
  
"Really? Thanks!"  
  
"No problem, mister! What's your name?"  
  
"Edward! Dr. Edward Kidnastoff!"  
  
The Kokiri girl thought about that. "That's nice, but it's long. I'll call you Dr. Eddie Kidna."  
  
With that the girl went back to peacefully gazing across the village, seemingly without a care in the world. "Nice kid," Dr. Kidnastoff thought as he entered the shop. "Who would've thought that children could be so well behaved without adults...."  
  
He didn't notice the red fairy quickly zip over head just before he entered the shop.  
  
*****  
  
Navi heard the sound of someone entering the fairy fountain and flew to the other side of the pool of water. The young fairies were normally more enthusiastic about healing than she was, especially considering that after leaving the fairy fountain most fairies could only give health at potential risk to their health. This was really a stupid position for her, and she had no idea why the Great Fairy decided to assign it to her.  
  
She was fairly surprised to see a fairy fly in. A young one, by the looks of it. Most fairies simply appeared in the fountain after healing someone, and few fairies of this age were ever gone unless they were on healing missions. Still, she decided that stranger things certainly could and did happen.  
  
She almost began ignoring the new arrival until she overheard it talking really quickly and excitedly.  
  
"I have a story! I have a story to tell to Zelda, Navi, Saria, Rauru, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, and Nabooru! A story about someone named Link! Can someone help me to find Zelda, Navi, Saria, Rauru, Darunia, Ruto, Impa and Nabooru?"  
  
Navi almost couldn't believe her ears. She hadn't expected anyone in this place to mention Link unless Saria learned something. Navi quickly flew over.  
  
"I'm Navi, and I can find everyone else. What's the story?" 


	8. A Tale Of Two Villages

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 8: A Tale Of Two Villages  
  
*****  
  
"Well, scratch the Lost Woods off of our list, Saria. Not one Skull Kid had a lead, not one."  
  
"It certainly didn't help when you started threatening them, Nabooru."  
  
"I was merely trying to persuade them. You can't trust some people."  
  
"Well, I know that I can trust the Skull Kids, even if you can't."  
  
Saria and Nabooru were walking out of the Lost Woods into the Kokiri Village. They had spoken to every Skull Kid and friendly Deku Scrub known to live there and not one of them had known anything about the missing Link. They had asked everyone in the Kokiri Village earlier, meaning that they had effectively covered the entire forest area.  
  
"This is hopeless," Nabooru mumbled. "No one's seen Link."  
  
"Well, maybe not around here. But maybe the other five have had better luck."  
  
"Please! Aside from your suggestion to simply ask every last man, woman and child in the world, not one person was able to come up with a single idea. Meanwhile, I'm the only one from our little conclave who's had decent training in the field of treasure hunting, with the possible exception of Darunia. Face it, we're the single most qualified group to look for anything and anyone, and so far we've not found a thing!"  
  
No sooner had she said this than Navi hurtled out of the tunnel that came from the Lost Woods. "Oh, thank goodness! I didn't think that I'd be able to catch up to you in time! Saria, when you weren't in the Forest Temple, I started asking every Skull Kid and Deku Scrub that I met about where you were! I would've found you sooner, but most of them just turned and ran when I mentioned Nabooru!"  
  
Nabooru scowled as Saria spoke. "We've been looking for Link in the Lost Woods, and we had a few unusual encounters. Anyway, what's on your mind, Navi?"  
  
"A fairy arrived at the fountain today, and it was one that Link had with him when he was kidnapped! She said that Link had been kidnapped by someone who calls himself Dr. Edward Kidnastoff, and that he knows how to create monsters with some kind of weird machine! Then she said that whenever the machine is turned on, it creates Poes and that those Poes are sent to Hyrule through a system of pipes!"  
  
Nabooru and Saria stared at Navi for a few seconds without blinking before Saria snatched her out of the air, grinning like a maniac. "Anything else? Anything at all? A description of this Dr. Edward Kidnastoff? Any word on why he's not tried to contact me through the song? Anything?"  
  
"Well, there was one other thing, but....well....I'm not entirely sure what she meant."  
  
"Well, spit it out! A chat with this fairy, and you've already got more info than all seven sages combined!" Nabooru chimed.  
  
"Well, she said that....well, she said that the pipes might be moving."  
  
Another few moments of silence passed, though more from confusion than shock. Nabooru found her voice first. "Moving? The pipes are moving?"  
  
"Yes," Navi responded. "That's what the fairy said. Well, the fairy actually said that they could potentially be moving, not that they definitely were. But yeah."  
  
"Navi, this is fantastic!" Saria exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah," Nabooru agreed, smiling for the first time in hours. "Instead of just blindly looking for Link everywhere, we can narrow the search to a Poe purging, portable plumbing system!"  
  
Nabooru and Saria felt excited, but it was nothing to how Navi felt. Some of the guilt that had been her life for almost a week now ebbed away to be replaced with a glimmer of hope and a rush of adrenaline. "What now?" Navi asked, eager to see if she could continue to help.  
  
"Well,...I guess there's nothing for Nabooru and me but to start over. Go over the entire Kokiri Village and Lost Woods from the beginning, this time remembering to ask about Dr. Edward Kidnastoff. For you, Navi, go find the other five Sages. Tell them to ask about Dr. Edward Kidnastoff, and tell all of them to mentally search for wherever Poes are being released. We've not really been concerning ourselves with where these things are coming from yet, maybe a concentrated effort can pinpoint it. Zelda is posing as Sheik with Rauru in the Hyrule Castle Market today, asking pretty much everyone coming into and out of the city about Link, Darunia and Impa are taking care of the entirety of Death Mountain including the village, and Ruto chose to cover all of Zora's Domain, River, Fountain and Lake Hylia by herself. She can cover water quickly enough to do a fair job of it, so we allowed her to try it."  
  
"Okay," Navi said. "Should I go to the Gerudo Fortress?"  
  
Nabooru scoffed. "Navi, first of all I ensured that every single member of the Gerudos would be on the alert for Link before I left. Second, this other person that we're looking for now,...with a name like 'Edward', I have to assume that he's a male. No man, other than Link and Ganandorf, was ever able to make it through that place without rising a stir, and Link was the only one who managed this when we were actively guarding against him."  
  
"Okay, then," Saria said. "Are we ready to get started?"  
  
"Not quite," Nabooru responded. "I need to stock up on arrows before we start again. I used my last one trying to shoot down that last Skull Kid."  
  
Nabooru began trotting towards the Kokiri Village's shop, with a concerned looking Navi and Saria in close pursuit. Before running in, they nearly ran into an unusual looking man who was running out at exactly the same time. The man, who was wearing a very strange white coat that looked not unlike a cross between a toga and robe, dropped all of the arrows that he was attempting to shove into a quiver.  
  
"Ah! Terribly sorry, miss," he mumbled as he stooped to pick up all of the arrows that now littered the forest floor. "I'm in a bit of a hurry today, and want to get back on the road before night falls."  
  
As Saria reached down to help pick up the arrows, Nabooru simply stood where she was and fumed. "You need to watch where you're going! Don't you know who I am? Don't you know where I come from?!"  
  
The man turned from the arrows for a moment and looked at Nabooru. "Um,....no, I'm afraid that I don't know who you are or where you come from. Sorry."  
  
As the man turned back to his arrows, Saria, Nabooru and Navi all froze. Nabooru from an apparent rage at not instantly being recognized (and feared) as a Gerudo Thief, but Navi and Saria from pure shock.  
  
Saria handed the arrows that she had thus far picked up to the man, nervously eyeing Nabooru. "Um, sir....you're not from around here, are you?"  
  
"No, I'm afraid not," said the man jovially, unaware of the fierce look of hatred that Nabooru was shooting at him. "I'm passing through Hyrule, really. Not sure how much longer I'll be able to stay in this fine land, but I'm certainly enjoying it."  
  
Before anyone could blink, Nabooru had lifted the man from the ground by the hem of his white coat, pushed him into the side of the shop, and stared directly into his eyes, almost touching his nose. "LISTEN! I am Nabooru, leader of the Gerudo Thieves! NO ONE nearly runs me over without hating the rest of their day, and NO MAN does so without dropping out of society for weeks for fear of torture! Now tell me, what's your name?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"YOU'RE NAME! Tell me your name!!!"  
  
Saria furiously nodded from behind Nabooru.  
  
The man looked mildly uneasy, though not nearly as scared as he should have been under the circumstances. He saw Saria's frantic gestures and decided that the best course of action was to simply comply. "Well, my name's Edward Kidnastoff."  
  
Saria's jaw dropped and Nabooru dropped the doctor.  
  
"Could you repeat that," asked Saria.  
  
"My name is Edward Kidnastoff. Dr. Edward Kidnastoff. I'm very pleased to meet you, Nabooru, and you as well little lady, and I sincerely apologize for inconveniencing you. Now that you mention it, I'm sure that I've heard your name mentioned before somewhere, but I've yet to associate a face with that name. Anyway, I really must be going now."  
  
He turned to leave with Saria and Nabooru still standing in shock. Nabooru snapped to her senses and leaped at Dr. Kidnastoff with a flying roundhouse kick. Unfortunately, Dr. Kidnastoff heard her, turned around, latched onto her leg and threw her into a nearby stream. As Nabooru stood, roaring in frustration, Dr. Kidnastoff simply stood and laughed.  
  
"Sorry, but randomly attacking people who casually inconvenience you simply isn't polite. I really have to go, I have one more shopping trip to make before heading home, and I simply feel like I've spent too much time here as it is."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff turned towards the exit from the Kokiri Forest, but Saria was standing in his way. She wore an expression of mingled curiosity, fear and anger that made Edward stop in his tracks.  
  
"Er,...is something the matter? I assure you that she isn't hurt, little one, just a bit soggy."  
  
Saria continued to stare.  
  
"What? What do you want?"  
  
"What have you done with Link?"  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff's eyes locked with Saria's, and for the first time in years the doctor felt afraid.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"What have you done with Link. The Hero of Time who lives in this Forest?"  
  
"Um,....I'm afraid that I don't know what you're talking about, miss. But don't worry, I'm sure this 'Link' is perfectly safe, and that he's simply resting. You may be too young to truly realize the benefits of a good rest, and-"  
  
"I'm very old, Dr. Kidnastoff. Kokiri age very, very well."  
  
"Ah, I see. You know, I'm old too. Centuries, really. Anyway, even if you've been alive for ten times as long as I have, I doubt that you've had the life experiences to-"  
  
"My name is Saria. I am the Sage of the Forest. I am the guardian of the Kokiri Emerald. Most of all, I know that you have Link."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff's eyes locked with Saria's once again. Instead of responding, however, he simply ran. He ran faster than anyone present had seen anyone ever run before. Moments later and he would have been rendered unconscious by Nabooru who had been quietly approaching from behind, but Saria's stalling tactic hadn't lasted quite long enough.  
  
"Great!" Nabooru said. "We get a shot at the guy who has Link, and we blow it. Did you see how fast he was running? He must be half-way to Termina by now."  
  
"I doubt it, but he might be half-way to the Lon Lon Ranch if he was heading in that direction. At least we got a good look at him. That's more to tell people."  
  
"Yeah, but we're the only ones who really got a good look at him! If he drops that ridiculous coat thing and cuts his hair then he's got a great disguise!"  
  
"I doubt it," Saria mumbled. "Cutting his hair wouldn't help him to blend in."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Did you see his ears? Did you notice them at all?"  
  
"No. Why?"  
  
"They were....they were round! He looks exactly like a Hylian, except his ears are the wrong shape entirely! It was freakish! His hair did a good job of hiding it, but it's not the type of thing that would help him to blend into a crowd when he's being looked for."  
  
Nabooru thought for a moment. "Round ears, eh? I wonder if his hearing is worse than your standard Hylian's."  
  
"Maybe. Anyway, we know that he's not around here anymore. What do we do now?"  
  
Without verbally answering, Nabooru simply picked up Saria and put the Kokiri girl onto her shoulders. Nabooru ran towards the exit, not nearly as fast as Dr. Kidnastoff had been running, but at a respectable pace.  
  
"Nabooru? What're you doing?"  
  
"We're tracking him."  
  
"Tracking him?"  
  
"He runs fast, but anyone could follow this trail he's leaving."  
  
"Anyone?"  
  
"Any Gerudo, anyway."  
  
*****  
  
An ordinarily fast runner anyway, Dr. Kidnastoff broke nearly every existing speed record in Hyrule's history as he darted out of the Kokiri Forest. He didn't stop running until he had crossed the bridge that went towards Death Mountain. Breathing heavily, he turned and stared in the direction of the forest, terrified.  
  
Someone knew. Not just any someone, but a member of the race that Link claimed as his own despite his lack of any blood relation to any other member of the race, a Kokiri. And not just any Kokiri, it was Saria, the Sage of the Forest.  
  
Edward slowly began to trod in the direction of the stairs that went towards Death Mountain's only Hylian village. He had heard about Saria and the other Sages. Only in passing, but he knew that they were important. What the Sages did, exactly, seemed to be a matter of much speculation among the people of the land; few of the small sampling of people who even knew of their existence had any clue just when or how they had come to power. Most suspected that it had something to do with Princess Zelda as she had been an established authority when the other Sages appeared, though none could justify that with anything other than that she had been aquainted with one of the other sages, a woman named Impa, earlier.  
  
The amount of information that was not known about the Sages was staggering for people with their power and influence. Dr. Kidnastoff had centered his life around worlds such as these, and he knew from experience that the mysterious, shadowy powers were often more dangerous than the firmly established rulers of lands.  
  
"And that other one, that Nabooru! She's another Sage! That's where I'd heard that name from before! That old man in that tavern mentioned her with the other six Sages....what I wouldn't give to talk to that old man again. Oh, if two of the Sages know who I am, what I look like and that I've got Link, the other five must know by now! And if not, they're sure to hear about it before much more time passes. I'd better hurry to this Goron City. Good thing I programmed the ship to meet me there. Might've been safer if I'd just used it to travel from place to place, though it would've taken longer to constantly reboard, relaunch and find a new hiding place every time...."  
  
He slowly climbed the mountain, thinking that it would be best at this point to attempt to slowly sneak through the village than to dart through faster than a horse. "Wonder why they call it Death Mountain," he asked himself as he cautiously proceeded.  
  
*****  
  
Nabooru continued to track Dr. Kidnastof across Hyrule Field as Saria simply thought about this strange person.  
  
"He seemed polite," she said.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Dr. Kidnastoff. He seemed really polite."  
  
"Oh, you think so? I didn't like him at all."  
  
"Well, you're used to people running in terror at the sight of any Gerudo that they don't know. He's obviously not from around here, and he's not from any race of people that I've ever heard of or seen, if his ears are any indication. If he hadn't been the one to kidnap Link, I'd think that he acted perfectly reasonable. And he did apologize for running into you, Nabooru. Good manners."  
  
Nabooru chuckled as she stared at the obvious footprints in the ground before her. "They've all got good manners, Saria. The worst guys can't be separated from the best if you only look at their manners the first time that you meet them."  
  
"Yes, but I'm telling you: he wasn't a bad person. So very much like a Kokiri."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, aside from the fact that, if he was telling the truth, neither he nor a Kokiri ever age, he seemed to have an almost childlike mentality. An innocence that I've rarely seen outside fellow Kokiri, and one that I've barely been able to hold onto ever since Link left after defeating Ghoma in the Deku Tree. Give him pointy ears and make him about two or three feet shorter, and he'd fit in well with the Kokiri."  
  
"As fascinating as that is, you can't forget that he's the one who kidnapped Link. Navi's also said that he makes monsters. Monsters, Saria, evil scary things. You've seen monsters, right?"  
  
Saria fell into silence, unsure of how to respond to that. There was something unusual about Dr. Kidnastoff, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.  
  
*****  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff sighed. "Please. It's very, very urgent that you let me pass through this gate and go to the Goron City."  
  
The guard grinned as he leaned on his battle axe. "Sir, much as I appreciate your plight, I'm afraid that I've got my orders from every authority who has a say in the matter. Princess Zelda of Hyulre Castle, Darunia of the Goron City and Impa, the founder of this very village, have all stated that during the current crises we're to limit travel unless there's an important reason."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff's blood turned chilly as he heard the names of three of the Sages. Toss in Ruto and Rauru, and he'd have been inconvenienced by every single member of their conclave in one day. He hid his nervousness from the guard and masked his face with impatience.  
  
"Crises?"  
  
"Yeah, they're asking around lately, saying that they can't find Link anywhere."  
  
"Oh, I see. Well, just look: if I don't get to that city soon, it could be disastrous," he lied. "The fate of the world could hang in the balance."  
  
"So? Not an uncommon occurrence 'round these parts."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff blinked. "Okay, fine. Don't listen to me. But don't say I didn't warn you."  
  
Before the guard could react to that, he had been thrown to the top of the nearby watch-tower. The guard nervously got to his feet and looked back to the ground just in time to see Dr. Kidnastoff jump over the gate. As the guard watched the strange man begin his hike up Death Mountain, he felt unusually calm. "How on Earth do I report this one?" 


	9. And Then There Were Five

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 9: And Then There Were Five  
  
*****  
  
"...and the next thing I know I'm flyin' through the air! I landed on top of that watch tower without really getting hurt, but when I look to the gate I see him jump over it!"  
  
"Are you sure that he didn't climb it?"  
  
"Absolutely. He cleared it by a good five feet."  
  
The guard who had encountered Dr. Kidnastoff just minutes earlier was just getting over his second shock of the evening, encountering not one but two of the Seven Sages: Nabooru of the Gerudo Thieves, and Saria of the Kokiri. That two of the Sages were concerning themselves with the strange man who had been able to throw him to the top of the watch tower indicated that the guard was certainly brushing against some big news.  
  
"We should get going, Nabooru," Saria said as she turned from the guard. "If he's only moving half as fast as he was when he left the Kokiri Forest then he could be at the Goron City by now."  
  
Nabooru nodded and turned towards the trail without saying a word. Saria was about to follow when the guard cleared his throat.  
  
"Is it true what they're saying about Link? Is Link missing?"  
  
Saria stared at the guard for a moment, not sure of what to say. If word was already spreading, then admitting some facts probably wouldn't hurt. "We don't know where Link is at the moment, but we know that he's alive."  
  
The guard nodded, seemingly satisfied. Saria ran to catch up with Nabooru. As long as this Dr. Kidnastoff couldn't get back to Link, she felt reasonably certain that Link wouldn't be in danger. She hoped that Navi was having success in her mission to tell the other Sages; Navi hadn't even said good-bye when she just vanished during the meeting with Dr. Kidnastoff in the forest.  
  
*****  
  
Navi couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
  
"Sirloin rocks, you say?"  
  
"Yes. We had become so used to them that we couldn't eat anything else. That's why Link is such a revered hero to us."  
  
This Dr. Kidnastoff was peacefully chatting with another Goron while he waited for the shop's proprietor to return from a quick break. Navi had expected someone with a little more focus and drive in the master of evil who could kidnap Link and create monsters at will.  
  
"Why couldn't you just dig around the boulders? You Gorons seem to be pretty good at working through the ground."  
  
"Oh believe me, we tried! But what we found was this layer of stone so dense that we couldn't dig it. We couldn't even eat it!"  
  
"Because it was dense or because you couldn't stand to eat anything other than the sirloin rocks?"  
  
The proprietor of the Goron shop returned at that moment, carrying a sack that held several bombs and a few red tunics. "Sorry to keep you all waiting," he cheerfully said. "This shipment arrived, plus I was stopped outside by Impa and Darunia."  
  
This caught Dr. Kidnastoff's attention entirely. "Aren't they Sages?"  
  
"Yeah," said the proprietor as he began to place the wares onto shelves. "They're lookin' for Link. They say that he's missing."  
  
"Could I purchase some bombs, please?"  
  
"In a minute, I've almost sorted them."  
  
"I'm really in a hurry. I've got to get these bombs and run."  
  
"Just be patient, I'm almost done. Besides, it looks to me as if this Goron is ahead of you in line."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff nervously began drumming his fingers on the counter. He turned to the Goron that he had been peacefully chatting with just moments earlier. "Would you mind if I stepped ahead of you?"  
  
"Actually, I'm in a hurry myself. We're trying to open up a new tunnel in the caves, and I need to get about fifty of these bombs to the construction site."  
  
"Ah." Edward rocked back and forth on his feet, nervously glancing towards the door every two or three seconds. What if Darunia and Impa recognized him? How had Saria recognized him so easily in the Kokiri Forest? These thoughts, and other similar ones, raced around his head as the Goron behind the counter gradually finished setting up his most recent supplies. After a few tense moments, the Goron in line before him selected fifty bombs, fumbled through his wallet for money, made the payment, and received change. The Goron walked out of the shop and the proprietor turned to the doctor.  
  
"Now then, what can I do for you?"  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff quickly tossed Link's bomb bag onto the counter. "Fill it." He knew that the 200 Rupees he had sold the Zora Fire Water for didn't quite cover all of his expenses on this shopping trip, but he had a little money left over from his dealings before capturing Link. He handed over the required Rupees and stuffed the bomb bag into one of his many pockets (one that was dangerously close to Navi's hiding place) and turned to leave, only to find his way blocked by two very serious looking individuals.  
  
The first was a Goron, a large one. His largeness didn't even originate from the fact that most standard Gorons seemed large in proportion to standard humans (their natural stockiness had a way of magnifying them in person). Instead, this Goron seemed to have genuinely built decent muscles. He was wearing various Goron symbols of achievement and respect that the doctor had not yet encountered during this trip to the city.  
  
The second was a Hylian female, a very tall one who even seemed to make the Goron next to her seem smaller than he was. She wore some scars and signs of weariness and hardships, indicating a life of hard work, sacrifice, and experience. She was studying Dr. Kidnastoff with an arched eyebrow, an unsettling image.  
  
The Goron's emotions were harder to read; he had a face that seemed well suited to scowling for the majority of the time. After a few tense moments, it was the Goron who spoke. "Greetings, sir. We don't see many Hylians in this city. Not an unheard of occurrence, of course, but still odd at any rate."  
  
"Yes," responded Kidnastoff. He had no idea how to react in this situation. "I was....well, I'd heard that Goron bombs were stronger than most other bombs. I decided to check that out for myself."  
  
"Ah," the Goron said. "That's not technically accurate, I'm afraid. Our bombs of that size are just about as good as the bombs that you would find elsewhere. We can make them cheaper than some places due to our mining operations, but outside of our powder kegs we don't have many specialty explosives."  
  
"I see. Well, thanks for the info, but I've already got my bombs. I guess that I'll be going now."  
  
"Don't be so hasty," came the female's answer. "We've not ever seen you around here. We've been looking for unusual people lately, and Link said that there was an unusual person in here. We've got some questions for you."  
  
"LINK sent you in here?"  
  
The Goron and Hyllian exchanged confused glances. "Yes," said the Goron. "His exact words were, 'I did see someone a little strange. He was buying bombs in the shop. He had a white coat on.' That describes you pretty well, if you ask me."  
  
"You're telling me that....are you saying that the Link, the Hero of Time, was out there?"  
  
"Oh, no. No, Link is my son. I named him after the Hero of Time due to Link's victorious endeavors in the Dodongo Caves. My son just left with some bombs for a mining operation."  
  
"Oh! Oh, I see. Yes, that makes sense. Anyway, I should really be going-"  
  
"Speaking of the Hero of Time," said the Hyllian, "we were wondering if you happened to know anything about his recent disappearance."  
  
"Oh, no. Nothing at all." Dr. Kidnastoff confirmed in his mind that these had to be Darunia the Sage and one other, probably Impa (unless he was sorely mistaken about what the sages Rauru, Zelda or Ruto looked like). "I heard that he was missing in a village just before nightfall, but beyond that I don't know a thing."  
  
"You heard that in a village?" Impa's arched eyebrow was certainly gaining more of a suspicious edge to it. "The only path from a village to this mountain was locked for the time. Darunia and myself both authorized it."  
  
"Ah, yes. Well, you see....I really, really needed some bombs, so I found a shortcut up here. I wasn't aware that the road was blocked, I figured that the shortcut would be the best (and most rapid) way to go. Sorry, I'll take care to watch for official transportation halts in the future."  
  
"You do that," Darunia responded. "All right, you're free to go. Just don't go further down than the path leading to the village."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff nodded and quickly walked out of the shop.  
  
"Think he knew anything, Darunia?"  
  
"Hard to tell. I wouldn't suspect him quite as much as some of the people that we've talked to in taverns, but he's certainly an odd one."  
  
"Listen! Follow him, follow him! He knows where Link is!"  
  
Nabooru and Impa turned towards the shop's entrance and saw Navi floating in.  
  
"He knows where Link is?"  
  
"Yes! I've been hiding in one of his pockets for almost a day now! I almost didn't get out without him seeing me! Anyway, you have to hurry! He can move really quickly, and before he started to climb the stairs to the village he said that he had something waiting to pick him up here at this city! You've got to hurry!"  
  
Before a second could pass, Impa and Darunia had jumped out of the shop and looked to the top floor from their vantage point on the bottom, just in time to see Dr. Kidnastoff quickly walk through Goron City's exit.  
  
"We'll never catch him on foot now," Impa muttered.  
  
"Well, not on foot," Darunia sighed as he sat on the ground and curled into a ball. "But as long as he doesn't brake into a run, I should be able to catch up with him before he goes too far. Here's hoping that I can make the corners...."  
  
So saying, Darunia began to quickly roll onto and up the stairs towards the exit of the Goron City, hoping that Dr. Kidnastoff had a ways to walk before reaching his next destination while a determined Navi skipped the stairs entirely and zipped out of Goron City just moments after the doctor, making a beeline for one of his pockets.  
  
*****  
  
"Nabooru! Up there!"  
  
Saria pointed up the steep mountain trail to where the figure of Dr. Kidnastoff could clearly be seen in the light of the rising sun. He was standing just at the bend in the path where the road began to slope downwards to Goron City. He didn't see them, he seemed to be staring at the sun as it began to rise.  
  
"I can catch him," Nabooru said. Without waiting for any response from Saria, Nabooru ran as fast as her feet would allow while still remaining silent, hoping that Dr. Kidnastoff would just keep looking at that sun for a few more moments.  
  
She didn't see the rapidly approaching Darunia, rolling faster than many birds could fly, approaching from the opposite direction, seemingly intent on tackling the doctor.  
  
Due to the sloping nature of the trail, neither of the Sages saw the other until they were within ten yards of each other, and by then their momentum was too great to prevent them from crashing into each other.  
  
The crash never came, however. Just seconds before their collision, a large door-shaped rectangle of light appeared just in front of the doctor and pulled itself back to envelope himself, Darunia and Nabooru. In the blink of an eye, the rectangle vanished without leaving a trace of the three.  
  
Saria managed to catch up shortly afterwards, as did Impa.  
  
"That was a rectangle of light," Saria said. "That must have been the type of thing that Navi told us about."  
  
Saria knelt on the spot where the three had been, frantically scanning the ground. Other than a few faint traces of footprints, one couldn't tell that anyone had been there recently. She felt a small pang of guilt for not calling back Nabooru. After all, this Dr. Kidnastoff had been able to out maneuver her back in the Forest when he was distracted, who knows what he could accomplish when someone wasn't talking to him?  
  
"That makes Link and Nabooru, and judging by your presence I'd say that the Goron was Darunia."  
  
Impa nodded.  
  
"Three. This guy's got three of us."  
  
"Four."  
  
Saria looked up at Impa who was staring at the rising sun, as if trying to see where their comrades had vanished to. "Navi was with Darunia and myself. She managed to fly into one of that man's pockets just before he left the city."  
  
Saria looked to the ground again. "Four. He's got four of us, and he didn't even plan to kidnap the last three. We need to speak with the others." 


	10. Restructured Teams

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 10: Restructured Teams  
  
*****  
  
"Link! Hey, this is Dr. Kidnastoff. I've returned from the shopping trip, and have secured all of your necessary supplies. They're waiting for you outside the Battle Chamber. Please head there now, as I have a special surprise for you this practice session!"  
  
Link heard the message with mingled hope and fear. He'd been alone in Dr. Kidnastoff's ship for a few days, and had only been granted access to a few of the many rooms that he was aware of. He was pretty sure that he had mentally memorized every last angstrom of the hallways that he could get to, and was grateful for the change of events. However, he wondered if his message had gotten out. If Kidnastoff had opened the bottle before leaving the ship for some reason, or if the fairy had been lost or killed, or if any number of other scenarios had occurred, Link might still be totally in Dr. Kidnastoff's clutches.  
  
He reached the outside of the Battle Chamber and saw the bottle of magic potion, a full quiver and a full bomb bag. He wondered why Dr. Kidnastoff hadn't handed these to him personally. Had the delay caused by the supply run put Kidnastoff behind on some schedule that he hadn't told Link about? Did he have to ensure that certain monsters were fully ready by a certain date?  
  
As Link picked up his items, the door opened. Link casually strolled into the Battle Chamber, quickly gulping down the potion. He felt his magic energy increase from the low state that it had been hovering at for days.  
  
Link unsheathed his sword and looked up at the glass panel that Dr. Kidnastoff was standing behind. He looked a little more wild eyed than usual, and it also looked as if he had been unable to shave during his trip, making him appear even more wild eyed than normal. Dr. Kidnastoff waved in response and turned on the communications system.  
  
"Good morning, Link! I apologize for my haggard appearance today, but I felt it important to get to work very, very quickly. A few unforeseen events occurred during my trip across Hyrule, and I feel that the two of us can work them out fairly well."  
  
As soon as Dr. Kidnastoff said this, a wall panel slid to the side revealing Nabooru and Darunia, both looking very confused and shaken. Three jaws dropped as Link ran towards them.  
  
"Nabooru! Darunia! What're you doing here?"  
  
"Long story, kid," Nabooru groaned, blinking a few times in the unusual lighting of the Battle Chamber.  
  
"Link, these two were able to follow me. They are, I believe, two of the Seven Sages of the land. I was unfortunate enough to encounter Nabooru along with a Sage named Saria in the Kokiri Village. Somehow they recognized me. I evaded them and ran to Goron City for the bombs where I encountered Darunia and another Sage named Impa. I evaded them as well. However, when the gateway between Hyrule and my fortress opened, I found these two barreling right after me. Now, I had been afraid of the abilities of the Sages, but I found that they weren't much of a match against me despite all of the mysteries surrounding them."  
  
Link looked up to Dr. Kidnastoff's window and back to the two Sages. "The two of you lost to him in a fight?"  
  
Darunia hung his head. "He is very strong and very fast. It also seems that most higher forms of magic will not work in this environment, we were only able to work a few simpler spells against him."  
  
"Link," Nabooru whispered, hoping that Dr. Kidnastoff wouldn't hear, "Saria and I received your message about the Poes. Saria is still out there, so she should be able to tell the other Sages."  
  
"Great," Link responded. "I don't know how much more of this place I can take."  
  
"I'm sure that the three of you have a lot to catch up on," Dr. Kidnastoff chuckled through the communication device. "But we've got a lot of work to do today. I've decided to let the three of you become aquatinted with a little starter match before I figure out just where to lock these two Sages away. Enjoy this time together, for I'm afraid that it must be brief. In the interest of scientific research, these three-on-one matches can't happen again."  
  
So saying, the doors of the Monster Maker 3000 began to open and smoke began to pour into the room. Link entered his fighting stance as Nabooru and Darunia followed suit. "Link, what IS that?" Darunia shuddered at the sound of the familiar laughter.  
  
"Oh, that's the fun part," Link said. "It all goes downhill once you find out just what the thing is."  
  
No sooner had he said this than a gigantic snake slithered into the room, seeming to leave a steaming trail of goo behind it. "I call this one the Basluk, a creature with the speed and accuracy of a snake and the acidic poison-trail left by some of the deadlier forms of slug," came Dr. Kidnastoff's cheery commentary. "Enjoy!"  
  
*****  
  
"How hard will it be for us to pinpoint the location where the Poes are being generated?"  
  
Rauru's question echoed through the Temple of Time where the five remaining Sages were meeting. For the first time in the organization's history, two of the Sages were missing. The normal air of precision and purpose was missing, leading to an even more stressed environment than when they had met to discuss the kidnapping of Link. Rauru looked at the assembled Sages, each showing fear in their own way.  
  
Princess Zelda hadn't had time to doff her Sheik disguise. Only her eyes were able to display emotion, and they weren't showing much. Everyone could tell that she was nervous, however, as she was constantly tapping her feet and pacing through the chamber.  
  
Princess Ruto was obviously worried, but beyond a basic look of frustration she hid her emotions well. She had become friends with the Sages ever since they had first come together, and was naturally very concerned about Darunia and Nabooru. She felt, if possible, more worried about Link than before. If two Sages had already been lost in the quest to rescue Link, might he be forever lost to her and the rest of the world?  
  
Saria's fear was the most noticeable. Her perpetual childhood permitted stronger emotions such as fear and anxiety to come through easily. Not only was she experiencing the trepidation running through all of the other Sages, she had been a witness to the vanishing of Nabooru and Darunia and knew how quickly and unexpectedly the capture could occur.  
  
Impa seemed unusually calm. Whether through training or through a strong mental gift she displayed little emotion other than her normally inquisitive face. She was naturally worried about the other Sages, but she felt certain that they would be safe. Saria's information about Navi assured her that if Link was in any true danger, he was safe enough to reach the outside world. While Link was definitely one of the most gifted individuals in the land, if not the world, his personal powers were at best equal to that of a Sage and at worst below the level of a Sage. Darunia and Nabooru being captured might easily help the situation. After all, who's to say that they wouldn't be capable of capturing Dr. Kidnastoff? Neither she nor Saria, the only two witnesses, had witnessed what had occurred beyond the rectangle of light. Dr. Kidnastoff hadn't even seen them before they were enveloped. Perhaps they had already captured him, and were merely temporarily baffled by how to activate whatever mechanism would open the door to return. Whatever the situation, it was not hopeless. With that mindset, she took it upon herself to answer the question.  
  
"It is not a question of difficulty. Instead, it is a question of time. We can all sense Poes, and sensing new ones as they appear will not be too much of a stretch for us. However, if Link is correct in his assumption that the alleged pipes are moving, then we may have difficulty reaching the new Poes before the device that creates the Poes moves on. If we sense it at the Desert Collossus while in Goron City, we probably won't be able to make it in time."  
  
"Might we be able to spread out?" asked Ruto. "I'm still the best equipped for exploring areas such as lakes and rivers, after all. And no one knows the forests like Saria. We could still probably catch it after only a few times.  
  
"No!"  
  
Saria's answer rang through the chamber with more force than she had intended. She was now the focus of attention of everyone present.  
  
"No, we can't do that," Saria repeated. "If one of us is captured by this Dr. Kidnastoff, then the rest of us might not realize it if we're too far apart. We need to stay in groups." Saria congratulated herself for some quick thinking. She simply didn't want to be alone when a lightning-fast trap could be snared around any of them at any moment.  
  
"We may have to risk that," Zelda stated. "From what you and Impa have told us, Nabooru and Darunia were captured simultaneously. It would be better to lose one or two of us at a time than to lose the remaining five of us at a time. Because there is greater safety for the group as a whole if we are not in one place at a time, and because Ruto is correct in stating that some of us are still better suited to some environments than others, I propose that we split up."  
  
The motion was set in place, and quickly passed. Zelda was told to meditate in Hyrule, Impa in Kakariko Village, Ruto in Lake Hyllia, Rauru at the Desert Collossus, and Saria in the Kokiri Forest. Saria didn't voice her feelings, but chose to quietly return home. She couldn't truly speak with the other Kokiri, but at least there would be witnesses in the event that she vanished.  
  
*****  
  
Nabooru and Darunia were both excellent physical fighters, Nabooru leaning towards the martial arts while Darunia could emerge from a wild brawl against a band of ogres or a wrestling match against the best Hylian fighter. Each had an intelligence that, while not necessarily the greatest among their respective peoples, was certainly on par with many of the notably intelligent protagonistic underdogs of myth and legend. As Sages, each had been granted unique magical powers and skills. Along with all of these factors, each of them knew how to lead a battle, having personally trained many of the greater warriors and soldiers that followed them.  
  
That said, neither of them was adept at battling monsters.  
  
Link didn't know whether he simply had greater experience or if he was better at locating weak points on an enemy. Either way, Link found their presence during the battle against Basluk to be more of a hindrance than a help. He almost spent more time protecting them than he did fighting the monster.  
  
Mercifully, Basluk didn't have quite as much endurance as the others, thus allowing the battle to end quickly. Link was exhausted from having to constantly change his battle tactics, but he felt relief.  
  
"Thank you, brother," wheezed an exhausted Darunia. Nabooru, similarly winded, merely nodded in agreement. "No wonder you....you were selected to be the....Hero of Time...."  
  
"No problem," Link said. He couldn't help but wonder how Darunia's battle against Volvagia had looked.  
  
"Nice job, everyone," came Dr. Kidnastoff's call from above. "Link, you've got one more monster to fight today, but I think that Nabooru and Darunia should go to their holding cells. Probably not the most hospitable rooms, but I need to be sure that they can't escape more comfortable accommodations.  
  
So saying, Dr. Kidnastoff stepped out of site, mere moments before a wall panel slid to the side. The doctor was waiting for them, smiling as cheerfully as if he was at a carnival. Darunia and Nabooru nervously glanced at Link, waved a worried good-bye, and followed the doctor.  
  
*****  
  
"You can't keep us here indefinitely."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff turned around to face Nabooru and Darunia. He had been leading them through the labyrinth of corridors peacefully, as all three knew that Dr. Kidnastoff had the advantage in any physical fight. Nabooru had been the one to break the silence.  
  
"What?"  
  
"She's telling the truth," Darunia said. "Eventually, either through our own means or through the efforts of people outside, we'll all be released."  
  
Edward smiled. He'd gone over this possibility in his mind many times. "I'm sorry, but as I told your friend Link, that won't occur. Before coming here, I ensured that this base of mine would be totally undetectable to anyone in this world of yours. This location is completely invisible to anyone looking with their eyes, and it doesn't generate nearly enough magic to be sensed by people on the outside. And even if there was some previously unknown chink in my defenses that would allow people to catch a glimpse of this place, it doesn't stay in one location for lengthy period of time."  
  
Nabooru mentally nodded. Link had been right about the "moving pipes."  
  
"What do you mean by that, exactly?" Nabooru prodded.  
  
"I don't think that I should tell you. Your room is right here on the left, sorry about the cramped quarters."  
  
*****  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff briskly stepped into the Battle Chamber's control room. He looked from his window down to Link who was practicing some basic fencing maneuvers. The doctor considered the words of Nabooru and Darunia and realized that there was a bit of practicality to them. If he had been recognized after only his first jaunt to Hyrule after capturing Link, then might he not be as crafty as he had assumed? The remaining Sages may already have some method of tracking him.  
  
Worse yet, Link may not live to be rescued! Dr. Kidnastoff had known from the start that Link was doing dangerous work, but he hated the idea of Link dying. Link had been very agreeable about being kidnapped, and had barely complained about his captivity.  
  
Still, while he regretted having to put Link through this, making monsters provided food, energy, supplies, and even money in the few times when he came across a form of money that was accepted across a decent percentage of the Galaxy. Link needed to face his best monsters before he perished, that was all there was too it.  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff turned on the communication system. "Link!"  
  
Link stopped his fencing practice, and turned to look up at Dr. Kidnastoff's window.  
  
"It's time for you to face Nightmare." 


	11. Echidna's Nightmare

Edward Kidnastoff  
  
By John Little  
  
Chp. 11: Echidna's Nightmare  
  
*****  
  
A wave of dark magic spread across Hyrule with incredible force. Princess Zelda and Rauru noticed and stared in the direction of the source of magic. Princess Ruto and Impa, closer to the source of the problem, felt a dull throbbing in their heads. Saria, passing the time by organizing a supply of healing potions in her hut, was briefly disoriented by a headache that came as the result of the magic. She turned towards the exit of the Kokiri Forest. "That's just outside the Forest....and up?"  
  
Darunia and Nabooru, both waiting just a few corridors away from the source of the dark magic, fell to their knees and screamed in pain, unable to think due to the sudden introduction of that much evil in such close proximity....  
  
*****  
  
Link could not feel the introduction of the nearly two-hundred Poes, he wasn't as sensitive to the ethereal plane as the Sages. As the doors to the Monster Maker 3000 opened, introducing a much darker smoke than ever with an even louder high-pitched laugh, Link did, however, feel a familiar darkness. He knew that he had felt it before, but this was a lesser version of it. His response to this only magnified his sense of trepidation when he witnessed a giant being step through the doors.  
  
The creature was nearly like a normal person in shape if you ignored the fact that it was sixteen feet tall. It's skin was a dark grayish green with no truly noticeable features other than slight indentations to hint at where the eyes, nose and mouth of a normal person would be. The skin color made it very difficult to judge just where it was standing, it blended in with the walls of the chamber with incredible accuracy. The odd appearance of this latest monster, along with the sense of the dark magic that he could sense exuding from this creature, would have been enough to send fear through anyone without the help of the last two notable features of this creature: instead of hands, this creature, this Nightmare, had two long blades. The claws, larger and obviously more deadly than even Link's biggoron sword, glinted in the light of the Battle Chamber. Despite this, Link realized with a bit of a start that he couldn't really see them.  
  
The swords seemed to have a definite size, shape and form, but Link couldn't honestly say that he saw a sword there. Link wasn't sure that he could see anything there. Nightmare turned towards Link and began to slowly march towards him.  
  
"Now Link," came Dr. Kidnastoff's chuckle from above, "If you can beat Nightmare then you can beat anyone in the bunch. He's not all there, you see. His body is composed of a liquid clay, capable of reforming itself against your attacks. I suppose you could freeze him with one of your ice arrows, but he's designed to withstand any environmental conditions, even ones that extreme. And you couldn't harm him without first chipping away the ice that impedes him. Along with that, you'll notice his blades. Can you guess what's unique about them?"  
  
Link took a few cautious steps away from Nightmare and shook his head. He couldn't even look at those things....  
  
"Ever heard of a phase blade, Link?"  
  
Link again shook his head while stepping away from this latest monster. It appeared to be strolling towards Link, seemingly confident of its capabilities.  
  
"Well, let's see here. You're familiar with teleportation gates, correct? Rifts in the fabric of space and reality? You've encountered a few in your day, I'm sure. At any rate, these swords are basically miniature rifts in the fabric of space, tiny gates into other worlds. They can literally cut through anything. Instead of relying on the principle of the wedge to split apart the atoms that hold things together as most swords do, however, a phase blade transports the excess material to another plane of existence! I think the reality that Nightmare is currently set to is a place that you call 'The Sacred Realm,' or something."  
  
This caught Link's attention. If those swords were gates to The Sacred Realm, then the dark energy that he was feeling could potentially be Ganandorf!  
  
"Hey, Doctor Kidnastoff!" Link shouted. "This isn't a great plan! Pick any other dimension than that! There's this guy in the Sacred Realm named Ganandorf, you see, and if he finds the smallest way back to reality then he could force it further! He could get back to this world and-"  
  
"I'm aware of the danger, Link, but this is an emergency. I need to test Nightmare before too much time passes, or else you might not live to see him! Nightmare was programmed before I learned about your mission to defeat Ganandorf, and there's simply no time to refashion his coding! Beat him quickly if you can, and you'll have absolutely nothing to worry about!"  
  
"Ed, do you realize the type of person that you'd be releasing?"  
  
"Yes. A potential customer."  
  
With that, Link heard the speaker system click off. Link didn't hesitate to unsheathe his sword and raise his shield. He ran up to Nightmare hoping that he would be lucky. Every monster had a weakness, Navi had taught him that. He just had to find it.  
  
Before he could get close enough to strike at Nightmare, however, the monster delivered a slash. It cut straight through the top of Link's shield.  
  
During the next second there was absolute silence in the chamber. Link watched the top fourth of his shield fall to the floor with a resounding clang. Had he been four inches closer, that blade would have slashed right about where his neck was. Link looked up at Nightmare, and Nightmare's clay-filled sockets stared back, seemingly apathetic to the situation for the moment.  
  
Link ran.  
  
*****  
  
Dr. Edward Kidnastoff sighed. Link's claim that Ganandorf could be released was definitely bothering him. Ganandorf had killed many, harmed many more, and made life for those in Hyrule a morbid shadow of what their lives had once been. He had said that Ganandorf would have made a valuable customer, but the more he thought about it the more he disliked the idea of his monsters actually harming people.  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff sighed as Link ran from Nightmare. This was definitely something new. What if Link were to die right here during this fight? Dr. Kidnastoff didn't know if he could stand that. He realized with a shock that he had never seen any of his monsters kill (or even harm) a soul before. They had always been pieces of art to him, fantastic testaments to life in general. Artificial life, capable of comprehending and following simple orders and instructions. He always sold them to those who would buy them....villains, dark mages, other scientists with evil agendas, warlords, despots, dictators....he never asked questions, but never really considered them worth asking.  
  
"Every monster has a weakness." That had always been what he had said. An excuse. He didn't like the idea of people dying due to his creations, but his clients nearly always had some heroic foil that they referenced during the purchase. Maybe he had been counting on these heroes to destroy the monsters.  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff realized that he didn't particularly care for the idea of creating life forms just to see them die.  
  
He pushed these thoughts far from his mind as Link narrowly avoided a slash from Nightmare. Nightmare was running by now, seemingly interested in destroying the evasive Hero. Link could run faster, but he could never put a truly safe distance between himself and this behemoth. Every so often Link attempted a weapon. Run a certain distance and shoot an arrow. The arrow simply embedded itself in the clay with Nightmare not even noticing. Get just far enough away, and throw a bomb. Nightmare saw it coming, and sliced at the wick with his sword, cutting it just short enough to effectively extinguish it. The hookshot turned out to be a mistake as it embedded itself into Nightmare, and pulled Link even closer to him. Link was nearly chopped in two, but was saved due to Nightmare's unfamiliarity with this tactic. Link didn't try it again.  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff sighed. Was there no weakness for this one? "Come on, Link," he said to himself. "Don't die on me. First company I've had on this ship in years...."  
  
Moments later he felt something move in his pocket. The doctor looked down just in time to see a reddish-pink ball of light zip out of one of his pockets and zip around the air quickly. Edward shouted in surprise and fell off of his chair as the little ball of energy alighted on the button that activated the communication device.  
  
"Listen! Link, this is Navi!"  
  
*****  
  
Saria ran from the Forest and entered Hyrule Field. She looked up, still able to feel this sudden creation of dark magic. "It must be the Poes! They're....right above me? But....they're moving....."  
  
A tiny rectangle of light appeared ten feet in the air above Saria. She yelped and jumped back as she saw a dark cloud emerge from it. The cloud coalesced into Poe after Poe. Within moments, an easy twenty were hovering in the air just above her.  
  
"Moving pipes!" she exclaimed. "I found the moving pipes! And the Poes!" She felt a surge of joy at this. Link couldn't be far from her.  
  
Just then the Poes noticed her presence. The surge of joy was quickly extinguished.  
  
*****  
  
"Who are you?" raged Dr. Kidnastoff, trying to swat at the little fairy. Despite his incredible speed and strength, he wasn't fast or nimble (or practiced) enough to swat a fairy.  
  
Navi dodged all of his attacks and shouted through the system. "Link! If those swords can go through anything that would include the environment! He could slice the walls or floor!"  
  
"Quiet, you stupid fairy! You'll ruin everything! This is for scientific study! Link needs to fight Nightmare as he would normally, no outside interference!"  
  
Navi hovered in the air. "But I'm his guardian fairy! I've been with him in nearly all of his fights over the years!"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, from Gohma to Ganandorf. Well, I didn't do Termina, but he had a fairy there too!"  
  
"I don't believe that. No one ever mentioned you in the stories about him!"  
  
"Well, I'm a fairy! A helper! The sidekicks are rarely brought up in stories, after all. Besides, Link still does everything. I just help him."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff blinked. "Huh. I wish I'd known that earlier. I would've kidnapped you as well."  
  
While the two chatted, neither really noticed as Link put Navi's advice to good use. Link ran just barely within Nightmare's slicing range and rolled to decrease his risk of danger. Nightmare took the bait and sliced in Link's direction, creating a noticeable tear in the floor. Link attempted the maneuver a second time, returning at an angle from the direction that he had come from. A third role, and a complete triangle had been cut beneath Nightmare!  
  
Link leapt away with a cheer, eagerly watching for the ground to fall away. He wasn't expecting Nightmare to jump off of the spot as well, however. Nightmare jumped at Link just as the ground fell, nearly slashing him in half. Link only narrowly dodged by diving under the monster as it sailed over him. He might have felt relief at his narrow escape had he not found himself suddenly falling through the triangular hole in the metallic floor.  
  
Link painfully landed several yards later. A high-pitched siren began to wail, prompting Link to roll to his side just as the bellicose Nightmare landed right where Link was lying mere seconds earlier. Link jumped to his feet in an attempt to put some distance between himself and Nightmare, only to gasp in shock at the room around him.  
  
Link was reminded of the Great Bay Temple from his adventures in Termina. Countless pipes and gears of various colors and sizes were present. Along with those, multi-colored lengths of wiry substances connected large structures of shiny metal. Extending from many of these structures were metallic towers and spires that were shooting electricity between each other.  
  
Link was deep within a jungle of technology.  
  
*****  
  
"So what you're saying is that I should grant Link the chance to acquire at least one new mystical artifact per monster defeated?"  
  
"Exactly!" Navi said, wondering to herself just how long she could keep this conversation going before Dr. Kidnastoff tried to swat her again. "Link nearly always gains some new weapon or skill between monsters in the real quests that he goes on. He gained the hookshot before going to the Forest Temple, he found the Megaton Hammer on his way to face Volvagia in the Fire Temple, he needed a special tunic and iron boots before facing Morpha in the Water Temple,....not letting Link change his setting could cause him to stagnate!"  
  
"How could I have missed that?" Kidnastoff wondered. "So many variables go into this hero act. Very difficult to gain a proper scientific insight."  
  
The doctor would have continued after that had an alarm not gone off at just that moment. Snapping back to reality from his conversation with Navi, he looked through his window just in time to see Link diving through a newly formed hole in the ground with Nightmare in hot pursuit.  
  
"Not the engine room! Those two could kill us all!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Every aspect of this place is controlled through machines in the chamber just beneath the Battle Chamber! Lighting, life support, flight,....there's no telling what could happen if he accidentally damages the wrong component of the Monster Maker 3000!"  
  
Knowing that every second mattered, Dr. Kidnastoff darted from his control room in an attempt to make it to the engines before Link or Nightmare could do any damage.  
  
*****  
  
Link stared down from his perch atop a large, humming machine as Nightmare concentrated on carving the machine into small, manageable pieces. Due to a lack of hands and opposable limbs, the monster was having a noticeable difficulty in climbing. Link knew that it would only be a matter of time before Nightmare managed to cut enough of the machine away, however. Link looked around, hoping to find another high machine that he could jump to, though none looked close enough that he was willing to risk it. Just as he was beginning to despair, he heard a sharp fizzling sound that quickly replaced the humming of the machine.  
  
Link looked down to see Nightmare, twitching on the floor in shock, a frayed wire from Link's perch brushing against the monster's leg. "He must've cut the wire free with those phase blades of his. Poor guy doesn't have a concept of electrical safety."  
  
Link didn't waste any time. He quickly pulled out a bomb, lit it, and tossed it onto Nightmare's shocked form. He jumped to the floor and ran for another climbable machine, this time selecting one with a tower shooting electricity. He began to climb just as the explosion occurred, removing any possible chance that there was a working component left in the machine. As a dazed (and seemingly injured) Nightmare groggily managed to stand, Link wondered just what the machine was.  
  
*****  
  
Saria was growing weary. She had effectively been trapped by the Poes, and was fighting for her life. On every side, at least five Poes were waiting to stop her, as more continued to appear from above. She had been able to take care of several Poes already, but she wasn't sure how long she could continue to cast the few battle spells that she could manage under the circumstances.  
  
As she frantically looked around, hoping to find a safe path to escape with, a large shadow passed overhead. At first she dismissed it as a bird, but the shadow didn't move away. Instead, it stayed where it was and slowly began to spread across the ground. Confused, Saria looked up to see a gigantic gray object in the sky. It appeared to be growing outwards, though the faint glowing radius around the object indicated that it was simply appearing as opposed to expanding.  
  
Even the Poes stopped their constant jeering to look up in surprise at the behemoth above them. Within just a few moments, the object had firmly appeared, revealing itself to be a gigantic gray disc, hovering in the air at an altitude higher than even Death Mountain. Green lights could be seen on the exterior of this disc, though their purpose was not clear.  
  
"That's....that has to be at least as big as Hyrule Castle!" Saria gasped. "What is that thing?"  
  
She took her eyes off of the monstrous disc for a second, but noticed that all of the Poes were distracted as well. Taking the opportunity, she ran for the Kokiri Village in order to view the object from a safer distance.  
  
*****  
  
Link was ecstatic. So far, the ploy of electrocution followed by a well- placed bomb seemed to be working. After the first failed attempt, Nightmare had learned to avoid cutting any wires himself, but Link was always able to sever the proper cords on his own. He did have some concern about the damages that he was causing to the machines, but between the destruction of the machines and the destruction of himself, Link was willing to make life a little more difficult on his captor. Five machines had been torn to pieces between his bombs and Nightmare's slashings, and Link was pretty sure that it couldn't take much longer to slay this latest monster.  
  
A wall panel slid aside and Dr. Kidnastoff ran in. "Link! What are you DOING?"  
  
Link glanced over to Dr. Kidnastoff before turning back to the stunned Nightmare. "Just finishing off your Nightmare, doctor. One more bomb ought to do it."  
  
So saying, Link lifted the bomb above his head and lit it.  
  
"Don't drop that! Link, if you damage that machine, it could kill us all!"  
  
"Don't drop it? I've just lit this thing, and I can't stop it! If I don't drop it, it'll probably kill at least one of us!"  
  
"Link, that machine you're on is....look, this base is flying. We're flying higher than Death Mountain, and the machine that you're standing on now keeps us in the air! There are some reserve systems protecting that machine, but you and Nightmare may have already damaged those beyond a reasonable limit!"  
  
That thought didn't take long to sink in. "So I was right about the pipes....you say that if this machine goes, this whole base goes? Crashes to the ground?"  
  
"Yes, and we may all be killed!"  
  
Link didn't hesitate for an instant. He tossed the bomb at Nightmare who was just about to recover from his shock. The last bomb was too much for the monster who simply solidified into a dried clay and crumbled to pieces while its phase blades seemed to fizzle out of existence. The machine, it seemed, had also taken as much as it could stand, hissed and fizzled, and finally ceased to hum.  
  
A shudder passed through the entire base as Dr. Kidnastoff screamed in terror. Moments later the ship began to fall, lifting Link, Edward, and everything else in the ship that wasn't nailed down into the air.  
  
"I told you not to damage that machine!" yelled Dr. Kidnastoff at a rather triumphant looking Link. "We're falling, we're going to crash into the middle of Hyrule Field!"  
  
"Don't worry about it, Dr. Kidnastoff. That thing was waking up, and with Ganandorf just on the other side of those phase blades I didn't want to waste any time at all. It was worth it. Besides, I was getting a little tired of these monster sessions, and this should put an end to my employment with you pretty nicely."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff scowled. "Oh, really? How do you plan on getting out of this death trap that you've set for yourself, Link?"  
  
"The same way that I get out of all of my Nightmares. A long, long fall that I'll hopefully wake up after."  
  
*****  
  
Two weeks later Hyrule was getting back to normal. The crash very well might have killed Link, Nabooru, Darunia and Dr. Kidnastoff had it not been for the two-hundred Poes that had been floating in the air beneath the base as it fell. They were all squashed out of existence, and provided just enough of a cushion to make the disaster survivable. The flying base was, however, completely demolished. Not a trace of technology was left undamaged.  
  
When the other Sages arrived at the crash site, along with several guards from Hyrule Castle who had witnessed the "disturbance", they found Link, Nabooru and Darunia lying on their backs mere yards from the wreckage with a very panicked Dr. Kidnastoff, aided by a frantic Navi, affixing tourniquets and minor healing salves to the wounds that the Hero and Sages suffered.  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff and Navi had been the only two to remain conscious when the crash occurred, Edward due to his above-average physical endurance and Navi due to her size and maneuverability. The two managed to rescue the three others from the wreckage.  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff had probably saved the lives of Link, Nabooru and Darunia then. Link thought about that as he walked into the dungeon cell that Dr. Kidnastoff was being kept in.  
  
"Ah! Link! Nice to see you, please have a seat."  
  
Dr. Kidnastoff was still in his unusual lab coat, and still seemed as cheerful as ever despite the destruction of his entire base. Link did take a seat, though he didn't feel entirely comfortable doing so.  
  
"Dr. Kidnastoff, I came by to thank you for saving me from the wreckage. I would've done so earlier, but they said that as soon as it was clear that the three of us would make it you instantly surrendered."  
  
"Yes, I decided it was better in the long run."  
  
"Why? You could've taken nearly anyone there in a one on one fight, and you can outrun everyone in Hyrule....well, maybe not the Running Man, but....and why save me?"  
  
"Link, I wasn't going to just let you die. No, you'd earned life there. Nightmare was the best that I had, and you managed to get rid of it. Through an environmental quirk, of course, you never would've beaten him had you stayed in the Battle Chamber,....but you were victorious anyway. Besides, I'm just a geneticist and medical physician, I've got no idea how to rebuild most of my base. All of it was purchased from other people in other worlds. I might be able to get another Monster Maker running, but there's at least a decade of checking old notes that would go into it. If I'm going to be stuck in this world of yours, I decided that it would probably behoove me to cooperate with the local customs as much as was in my power. You destroyed my old life, so I need to keep my current slate as clean as possible."  
  
"I see. Dr. Kidnastoff, I'm sorry if I destroyed 'your life,' but you were doing something terrible with that machine of yours."  
  
"I know. Link, you gave me a lot to think about. I'd never really seen any of my monsters fight before, and I'd never really seen a hero in action. Maybe it was because you were the first person that I'd really talked to in years, but I think that I'm better for the experience."  
  
Link didn't know how to handle this situation. He had come expecting Dr. Kidnastoff to be filled with rage, to hurl insults and curses. But Edward was simply waving the past away as if it didn't matter. Link was glad that his former captor was being very agreeable, but that in itself seemed unusual. He was saved from replying by Dr. Kidnastoff's train of thought.  
  
"I'd never really thought about this before, Link. I don't know how I got started in this field of work, it's been so long now....but I never considered the people. I always counted on the heroes to stop my clients and the monsters that they purchased. But when you practically destroyed yourself to get rid of Nightmare, I knew that even the best of heroes can't always be around. I've officially decided to make my profit through a more respectable career. If they ever let me out of this place, I'm going to become a healer. Peaceful work, the pay is well, and people might actually like the results."  
  
There wasn't much left to say after that. A few words were exchanged, vague references to future employment were passed around (though Dr. Kidnastoff's sentence had yet to be officially set), and Link decided that he needed to go. With the Monster Maker 3000 no longer producing creatures, he at least held a decent chance at putting a dent in the Poe population.  
  
Link walked out of the Castle's Market and found Epona and Navi waiting for him, just where he had left them. He smiled as he mounted Epona. He was monster hunting again, but this time it would be by his own agenda and no one else's.  
  
THE END  
  
*****  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES  
  
Hey, everyone. I've decided to take this time to say thanks to everyone who left their positive reviews, they really pushed me to finish this story. I apologize if this last chapter seemed a bit more rushed and hasty than the previous ones, but I've really stumbled across a rough spot in my life and needed to finish this so that I could deal with other things that take precedence over writing. I also want to apologize for not communicating with all of you more frequently within the chapters, but as this was my first "true" fan-fiction on this site (not counting a few test fictions that I submitted to get a feel for the layout and formatting), I didn't know what style I wanted to go for.  
  
Special thanks to those of you who replied more than once as it demonstrated that people were actually coming back to this story, an unusual concept for me. Oh, and special thanks to Harry Read for pointing out that I'd entirely forgotten about Saria's Song, Amaya (Krazie4Christ) for telling me that the summary rhyme had been effective, and StarDragon Blue for telling me that the first monster was similar to Goht, a bit of knowledge that pushed me into renting and playing Majora's Mask for the first time (weird how similar he was, now that you mention it). Everyone else, your encouragement greatly helped at times when I might have succumbed to doing homework (had I fallen to that, I might have forgotten about this story for weeks), so I thank you.  
  
That's all I've got for now. Thanks for reading, and I hope to return to writing again very soon. ;-) 


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